33 3i» 

3>Z 



:> _ 


ism 


>^ 




>3 
33 




3 





33 - r3 


:>■ 


^> '^3 - 


> i> 


3» __-» 


^O 


3>- 


3 33 


. 1 -3 




3>3> 


2>> 


£3^ 


3 53 


^> 


33 


3 


3 33 


33 




33 


3. 


"!»:' J>3 


33 


3> 3 - • 3> 


3>3 


3 
3» 


3^ 33 


""-? 


; 3 >> 3/' '3 
3 :>* 3 


^<£3P 


3 


3 3 3 


.o 


3 ■ >> 3 


3> 


3 


>2«*3IO 3 .. 


373 


i> j>» > 


_Z^I3 


3 


>JD3- 


3~3 


3 J^ 33>^ 


^^ 


3 


» 


• 3 


^> 3» 3^>^ 


:> 3> 


3 


3 3 3 


~3!§> 


3\3E8> 3 



UBR' CONGRESS. 

i IERICA. 



>33 



33 ;^>.3*»?*' 


' J*. > 

>3 
3> 




33 ^3^ 

>^*> 3 V S%,. T 


* > • : - 

33 = 
33 


3> 


33- •3*--3fl^-' 
33> "3 3*'> 


33 
33 


1?* 


33* 3* 3^ : 


33 


4i» 


33 3*73^ 


3 3 


7S> 


3._> 3 3>> ; 


33 


s> 


)3 3R3B* ^ 


>3 * 


72> 


33* 333>- 


03 


7 - 


.33^ 33> 


3> 


3i> : "^ 


33* 33> 


33 


' v |> 


33» 33> 


3> 




3 3>& 3 3> 


3> 3 




> i^a* ,°3>r>> r 


»3"" 


; .' . i 


> 1* 3?3 


3>3 




3 C&* 33 


3 3 




3 J* 33> 


3 3 




> ^* 733> 


3 3 




?> 3>v 33 


3 3 




3 3>& 3 j 


3 "3 


» 


3-- . . 3>23Kk' 33 


3 3 


> 


3> 3>^35K5& \>3 


■^ ->» 




7>. •■ "■> .. ~5J* -,S = 


: ^k "" 





331 



> 3D 


J>i> 


)> 


33 


33 


3 3»-i 


33 


X>33 




»3^ 


33 


3^> 


33 


^1X1 


3 




> ^»»»:t 




3* ^^> ,- 




5* ^£»3 


3» > 


V 


>33', 




' 


>D3 ' 




■.^ ^., 


•1)3 


ft JJ^&fiF-}- 


o. 


■4£<-fi£?S>- 




&^* 




&£&-3£> 




» 3>3> - 




B "*- -*£* 3> >' 




^ >J» 3>3I> 








0> :VD 















3mm ^ 









►>l>~Vlft~y} 




DR. NESS'S -gj| 

NEW METHOD I 

of flip 

HORSES. 




^£&r^*f3fc. 



APPROVED BY HORSEMEN GENERALLY. 



' SOLD BY TRAVELING AGENTS ONLY. 



to ' Price 25 Cents. Op 



;Jb ''^—i—sisxir: 






•> ' V « 1 



\ 







THE 

ORIENTAL OR ARABIAN ART 

OP 

CHARMING HORSES 

AND 

BREAKING COLTS. 



CONTAINING 



FULL INSTRUCTIONS FOR RAISING, TRAINING-, RIDING, 

DRIVING, STABLING, FEEDING, AND 

DOCTORING HORSES. 



By C. I. H. NESS,'M.D., 

VETERINARIAN AND TRAINER. 



CINCINNATI, OHIO: 

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 

1861. 



> . 



5! 



/r-'4;A 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by 

C. I. H. NESS, M. D., 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 

Southern District of Ohio. 



2/ / 



Wrightson & Co., Printers, 

167 Walnut Street, 

Cincinnati, O. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The Horse is the most noble and the most useful of 
the domestic animals. It is only in a few localities, 
and under a few circumstances, that any other beast of 
burden can compare with him for usefulness ; while for 
gracefulness and speed of motion, and for beauty and 
symmetry of form, the ox, the camel, the ass, the mule, 
the elephant, are all completely and forever eclipsed. 

I need offer no other apology, then, for presenting 
to ■ the public this little volume — the result of over 
twenty years' experience in the raising, breaking, train- 
ing and educating of this animal. Also, some ten 
years' experience in medicine and surgery on this noble 
animal. 

Let none say I have misled them by my title. I 
shall give you all there is of the Oriental or Arabian 
art of charming horses. If what they call magic is 
only the practice of scientific principles, that is no fault 
of mine. It is the fault or the blindness of the Orientals 
themselves, in attributing to magic, or supernatural 
agency, that which can be, and is performed by natural 
means ; and it is our fault if we believe such antiquated 
superstitions. 

Nor is it any deception to designate the method of 
training vicious horses and colts, as set forth in this 
pamphlet, by the term charming, (or power of mind.) 
Charming may be practiced by natural, as well as 
supernatural means ; and there is no doubt but the 
Arabians and other Orientalists did all their charm- 
ing on precisely the principle herein set forth, though 

(iii) 



IV INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 

they pretended it was done by supernatural means, 
and though they might have been innocent in the 
belief that their success in taming the wild and vicious 
horse committed to their charge depended on the par- 
ticular terms of jargon which they whispered in his 
ear. 

Nor do I practice any unwarrantable deception when 
I promise to teach you the Oriental or Arabian art of 
taming wild and vicious horses. I will not only do 
this, but I will rob it of its antiquated mysticisms, 
absurdities, and difficulties. 

I will show you what has heretofore been considered 
difficult and complicated, can be explained on natural 
principles, and is easy to the comprehension and prac- 
tice of every owner of a horse. 

The truth is, that noble animal (the horse) has been 
misunderstood and much abused. By many he has 
not been treated as an animal, but rather as a stick of 
timber, which could be hewn with an ax, or molded by 
the chisel into any desirable shape ; or as a block of 
marble, tumbled along through the streets to the work- 
shop of the artist, to be by him hammered, chiseled, 
cut, and carved into an equestrian statue. 

If we succeed in establishing the claims of the horse 
to an animal nature, and show how he may be most 
successfully subdued and rendered useful to man, we 
shall claim, whether we receive it or not, more credit 
than the charmers of the Orient received, who shrouded 
the science in a vail of mystery, while they left the 
astonished beholders of their performances untaught 
and unenlightened in the modus operandi of their pre- 
tended divinations. 

The Author. 



PART I. 

THE ORIENTAL ART THE TRUE PHILOSOPHY. 



We have often read of the wonderful power which 
the Arabs and other Orientals have over the horse ; 
of their taking them wild from the native forests, and, 
by supernatural, or magic influence, training them not 
only to the common purposes of usefulness, but teach- 
ing them the greatest possible variety of feats, tricks, 
and wonderful performances ; of their whispering to the 
horse, as if he possessed the spirit of some departed 
worthy, and they were in confidence consulting and 
communicating with him. We have read, too, of the 
" Black Art," and the astounding miracles said to be 
performed by its means. We have seen persons, even 
in this enlightened age, who profess to believe in it; 
nay, more, we once met a livery-stable loafer who un- 
dertook to palm himself off on us as a thorough prac- 
titioner of this art, (?) and offered his services, at a 
round price, in the business of charming, conquering 
and subduing the wildest and most ungovernable horses 
that might be brought to him for that purpose. Those 
who will believe such wild and superstitious notions, 
need themselves to be tamed and instructed into the 

(5) 



6 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

first principles of modern science, and they deserve 
no pity if they are occasionally most essentially hum- 
bugged. 

But that the Arabians, and many Europeans and 
Americans, have been wonderfully successful in break- 
ing colts, taming vicious and ungovernable horses, and 
teaching them a great variety of tricks and perform- 
ances, is an undisputed truth; and that the manner 
of doing this is well worthy of being called an art, is 
equally true. 

Who that has witnessed the astonishing perform- 
ances of this noble animal in the circus, but has, at 
times, almost attributed it to the possession of the 
human intellect; and all will admit that the instinct 
and tractability of the horse are of the highest order 
of the brute creation. Yet such power over the 
horse — and we had almost said any horse, but there 
is as much difference in horses as in men — can be 
possessed by any one who will practice a few plain 
and simple rules. 

What, then, is the Arabian or Black Art of charm- 
ing horses? We think it may be summed up in a 
few words, kindness, patience, and perseverance. The 
Arabian has all these, and, in addition, what too many 
in this country of luxury and extravagance do not 
have — an abundance of time. The Arabian, and those 
who have pretended to practice the Black Art, are in 
the habit of spending much time in the company of 
the horse. They ride, brush, curry, caress, fondle, 
talk, whistle, and sing to the horse, and, what too 
many are never known to do, love this noble animal. 
By these various and continued means, they obtain a 
wonderful power over any one of the race that may 



OF MANAGING HOUSES. 7 

be placed under their charge. It matters but little to 
the horse whether his master whistles Yankee Doodle, 
or the tune the old cow died on, as long as he appears 
pleasant. Yet we think, in speaking to a horse, we 
should speak plain and distinct; also, with a gesture, 
that he may understand what we want, if not what we 
say, not forgetting our mind influences his; although 
I believe the horse understands many words spoken to 
or about him, quite as readily as a small child. 

We assert, then, and without fear of contradiction, 
that the whole secret of training horses, whether prac- 
ticed by Arabians, Gipsies, Black Art performers, 
livery-stable loungers, or the worthy and honorable 
horseman, lies in perseverance, kind and patient in- 
struction, not forgetting the power that man has over 
the brute creation. Use, but not abuse it. We will 
try to throw more light on this subject as we progress 
with our little work. 

How to make a Horse Pace. 

Take some lead balls, weighing from two to three 
ounces, with a hole through each ; string enough on a 
cord to go round the fetlock. Tie a string around the 
right fore-foot and the left hind-foot; ride him slow; 
when he becomes used to this, change them, putting 
them on the opposite feet. Patience and perseverance 
will move mountains. 

How to cure a Horse from interfering. 

Pare the inside of the hoof the lowest, and make 
the inside of the shoe the heaviest ; if this does not 
cure him, I do not know of anything that will, as I 
have tried many others in vain. 



DR. NESS S NEW METHOD 

How to Shoe Horses. 

A saddle horse should be shod with a smooth, spring 
heel shoe; a buggy horse with heel corks, while the 
coach horse should have toe corks as well as heels on 
his hind feet; heels with no toe corks on the forward 
feet. In shoeing your dray, cart, or wagon horse, do 
not forget to have low but heavy corks all round, toes 
and heels. Blacksmiths generally make their nails too 
large ; do not pare the heels much, as it will tend to 
strain the heel cords ; make the shoe to fit the foot, 
not pare the foot to fit the shoe ; let the rim of the 
hoof rest on the shoe ; do not cut the front of the hoof 
so as to make the foot stump-toed ; let the hoof be as 
flat as possible; if the shoe rests on the pith, it will 
cause corns ; if there are any corns, cut them out, and 
dress with spirits turpentine; fill the cavity with tar 
or resin, melt in with a hot iron; be careful not to 
point your nail in ; and, as you may lame the horse, 
be careful your nails do not break, and the stub turn 
in while the point may come out ; if this should occur, 
it would be very painful to the horse. 

Early Training. 

As horses are mainly valuable for their utility to 
man, it is apparent that the full development of the 
physical system of the animal is not all that needs to 
be secured, though that is necessarily the primary de- 
partment, upon which all else is to be based. The 
best-developed animal might be so vicious as to be en- 
tirely valueless ; though it is a rule, that development 
of form and of disposition correspond to each other. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 9 

Yet the horse being one of the most intelligent of the 
animal creation, and easily trained into objectionable 
as well as desirable habits, it behooves every one 
having the care of young^horses and colts, to guard 
carefully the influences brought to bear upon their dis- 
position. The usual custom throughout the West has 
been to let them run wild almost, until three or four 
years old, and then put them through — not a regular 
system of " breaking," — but such exercises as the dis- 
position of the master might dictate at the moment, 
and which often exhibited far more of the spleen and 
irritability, impatience and violence of temper of the 
man, than of care for the horse. Almost the first ex- 
perience of life the colt gets, after he has learned the 
use of his legs, is a pelting with small stones, clods, 
sticks, or switches, from mischievous boys, who delight 
in his infantile antics to avoid his persecutors; and 
thus, from the first, he learns to look upon man as an 
enemy to be dreaded and avoided, while evil disposings 
to kick, strike, etc., and ill-nature generally, are forced 
upon him. Age and strength accumulate, and with 
them ill-treatment, (for the amusement of its masters 
it may be, or by virtue of their thoughtless disregard 
of causes and effects,) until, when large and old enough 
to become serviceable, the difficult and dangerous pro- 
cess of "breaking" becomes necessary. And it too 
often happens, that when this is well done, as all admit 
it should be, the horse is really broken, and has lost 
all that spirit and nobleness so much admired in this 
truly noble animal. The whole idea of "breaking" 
implies, in fact, a necessary evil, is part of the same 
philosophy which once made our school-houses deposi- 
tories of birch, and theaters of tragic cruelty; a phi- 



10 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

losophy which, thanks to enlightened progress, is rapid- 
ly passing away. 

The colt should be accustomed to kindness, and gen- 
tle, yet firm handling, from ,t^e first, and in this manner 
learn perfect obedience to his master's will. The halter 
may, indeed should be, placed upon him when quite 
young, and he should learn to be guided by it in any 
direction, and with ease ; and as he grows up, one 
lesson after another may be added, as the owner's 
wishes or fancy may dictate, until, when the time comes 
that his services are demanded, he is ready trained for 
the service, educated in the way he should go, and will 
walk therein. The whole process should be one of care- 
ful avoidance of influences tending to create bad habits, 
teaching the animal what it will be required to know, 
before that requisition comes, and by education super- 
sede the necessity for the unphilosophical and often 
brutal " breaking." 

The advantages of careful training during growth 
are many and important. It affords the best possible 
means of developing the animal in every respect ; keeps 
him under the constant care of the owner, and induces 
him to think and reason upon what he does ; creates a 
sympathy, so to term it, between them, which elevates 
the character of both. It prevents the vicious habits 
usually engendered from carelessness of the owner, and 
which cannot always be eradicated, and avoids the 
cruelty and abuse of " breaking." The horse may be 
made tractable, reliable, and safe, without having his 
energy and spirit crushed out of him ; and he may be 
noble, active, and proud in his movements, without being 
restive, irritable, and treacherous, and, as a consequence, 
will be more easily kept in fine condition and good 



OF MANAGING HOKSES. 11 

health. It is only a continuation of the principles of 
breeding, extended to the full development of the ani- 
mal, here advocated ; and, while all cannot be equally 
successful in this, as in any other of the pursuits of life, 
all will be more successful, and richly rewarded for 
their efforts to attain it. The principal reasons for the 
general untrained character of horses, seems to be the 
lack of any systematic effort at training, and the un- 
controlled passions of those who have the handling and 
care of horses. It is no uncommon thing to see angry 
bipeds venting their passion upon unoffending animals, 
as the most convenient recipient of their ire. And 
such scenes are not confined to the street, the highway, 
or the farm ; but are found in all. The effects are mis- 
chievous, and ruinous to the best interests of the owner, 
because injuring and depreciating in value his property 
in the market. Horse' education, really, is a market- 
able commodity, and may be, indeed always is, estimated 
in dollars and cents. 



Taming a Ticious Horse. 

In nine cases out of ten, those who undertake to 
tame a vicious horse do the very things they ought 
not to do, while the things they ought to do they do 
not. 

While in the city of Boston, in the year 1848, I was, 
in company with several others, shown a beautiful 
spotted horse, about eight years old, and well worth, 
if faultless, one hundred and fifty dollars, which it was 
said by the honest salesman no man could ride, or 
drive in a chaise, (a two-wheel vehicle much used 
formerly at the east.) Mr. A said he would try 



12 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

him, and gave sixty dollars for the noble animal, which 
could not have been purchased for twice that sum, had 
he borne a reputation for good behavior. 

He led the horse home, about eight miles from the 
city, by the side of another, put him in the stable, fed 
him, and retired for the night. The next morning he 

went to the stable " to break the d d horse, or his 

own neck," to use his own expression. As he approached 
the horse, he remarked, in a somewhat triumphant and 
defiant tone : " So, ho ! you are the fellow that allows 
no one to straddle your back, are you ? We '11 see 
whether you can shake me off as easy as you have 
some others ; if you do, you will be the first horse that 
ever shook me from his back." 

It really seemed as if the horse knew the substance 
of the remarks made in his hearing, by the motion of 
his head, the manner in which he stepped from one 
side of the stall to the other, and various other indi- 
cations of uneasiness and suspicion. At any rate, 
whether he comprehended the language of his new 
master or not, he evidently did not like the tone of 
his voice, nor the swaggering of his person. A horse 
learns the different inflections of the human voice sooner 
than many a school-boy. 

Our hero now led the horse from the stable, put a 
saddle upon his back, buckled it with uncommon tight- 
ness, and after trying the stirrups to see that all was 
sound and right, with a single bound was in the saddle. 

Now commenced a scene of rearing, and springing, 
and pitching unlike anything I ever before witnessed. 
In retaliation, the rider commenced using the cowhide 
freely over the rump, about the sides and legs of the 
animal, and, at length, over his head, eyes, ears, and 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 13 

mouth. It was evidently a battle between two equally 
determined, but unequally powerful opponents — a trial 
of animal strength — an exhibition of dexterity on the 
part of the animal, to throw off the disagreeable load; 
on the part of the disagreeable load — the man — to con- 
quer, to subdue, to maintain his position. But the 
horse, being the stouter of the two, was the victor, and 
would have thrown his load a rod at least from his 
back, but for the rider's foot having caught in the 
stirrup ; and in the plight, the horse would soon have 
kicked his brains out, if he had any, but for the inter- 
ference and assistance of the bystanders, who soon 
liberated the prisoner from his critical situation. 

But was this horse broken? No. But the owner 
was, from any future attempts to ride a vicious horse. 

Qne of the spectators of this scene asked the owner 
of the animal what he would take for him. Being 
taken in just the mood for selling cheap, he repliech 
"Anything you please." A bargain was soon struck 
up, and the horse changed hands for fifty dollars. The 
crowd was making tracks to follow the horse to the 
stable of the new owner, but the latter observed that 
he should make no attempt to ride him at present, and 
when he did, he should by no means allow any one to 
be present on the occasion. 

Three weeks after this, I, with many others in the 
village which was now the new home of this "vicious 
horse," had the pleasure of seeing this gentleman (for 
though he was what is termed a horse-jockey, he was a 
gentle-msin in his treatment of horses) pass through the 
place gracefully riding the back of this noble, but here- 
tofore proscribed animal, with apparently as much 
pleasure to the horse as to the rider. There was no 



14 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

springing, rearing, or whipping ; but the horse and the 
rider moved up and down the main thoroughfare of the 
village, in the presence of hundreds of excited specta- 
tors, as if they were a part of each other. 

How was this miraculous change brought about ? I 
will give you the horse tamer's own account of the 
matter, as nearly as my memory will serve at this dis- 
tant period of time; which, however, is uncommonly 
distinct, for the circumstance made an indelible im- 
pression on my mind, as it constituted my first valuable 
lesson in the " Oriental Art of Charming Horses." 

w I took my horse home," said he, " and spent several 
days in forming an acquaintance with him. I might 
have succeeded in riding him sooner, but then, I am 
very formal about such matters — I want to be regularly 
introduced to a horse — a coquettish, shy, non-committal, 
bashful, nervous, excitable, egotistical, joking, frolick- 
some, quick-tempered, vicious, or lazy horse, (for horses 
have as great a variety of characteristics as men, or 
women either,) as regularly introduced as to one whom 
I might choose for a partner in business, or a partner 
at the altar. I want then to become intimately 
acquainted — go through a regular courtship — that we 
may love each other ; for I will never own a horse that 
I can not love. 

" But, as I was saying, I took my horse home, put 
him in a clean, nice stable, fed him with the best I 
had, brushed him, combed him, conversed with him, 
caressed him myself — I never have a servant to do my 
courting for me. We soon became the best of friends. 
I can always tell when I am getting the right side of 
a horse. At first he was shy — treated me with cool- 
ness — then became too familiar by half. I put on my 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 15 

best countenance, and talked to him in my most woo- 
ing tones ; I succeeded in making him know me, love 
me, and fear me. I say fear me, for I whipped him — 
I whip horses as I do children — never in anger, always 
from a sense of duty; and I take immediate steps to 
let the animal know why I whip him, and how painful 
it is for me to do so. 

" At length I led him into the center of the stable, 
placed a saddle gently across his back, and then went 
to his head and caressed him. I was a long time 
adjusting the saddle to suit me, for my time was prin- 
cipally occupied in winning the affection of the horse. 
At length, all things ready, I crawled shyly upon his 
back, setting down so easily that he could scarcely 
distinguish the time when I was fairly fixed ; my head 
mean time, and for some time afterward, close to his. 
I made no motion for him to go, but slipped off, and 
went for a pair of mittens, though it was July ; put on 
the mittens and again mounted his back cautiously — 
no, not cautiously, for it will never do to be cautious, 
but in a friendly, familiar manner, as much as to say, 
I have a right to a place on your back, but, then, it is 
with your leave, sir. After turning him around once 
by the bridle, I was again off to get my hat, then my 
whip, etc., and finally took off his saddle and put him 
back into his stall. This I did several times, perhaps 
more times than was necessary, but I was in no hurry. 

" I next took him into the yard, and jumping upon 
another horse, rode several times around him, then left 
that and mounted him, and rode several times around 
the first horse. This was a great feat — it was ' glory 
enough for one day;' I therefore put the horse up and 
left him for a day. 



16 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

" The next day I tried both horses again, but rode 
a longer time than the first day. Again, I ventured 
still further, riding around my house, then down the 
road to the brook and back, until, finally, I can take a 
journey on the best saddle horse I ever owned, which 
cost me but fifty dollars." 

Now who will say that horses have not sense? 
Who will say that they must not be treated, at least 
as we would treat a dog, or a cat, or a bird, that we 
would wish to tame and instruct? 



Teaching a Horse various Tricks. 

Almost any horse can be taught to perform tricks, 
but some horses are more tractable than others. You 
must select a good shaped, bright- eyed, nimble, playful 
horse, not too large, nor too stoutly built. Some 
horses are made only to work, and others only to be 
lazy. Neither of these should be selected as a trick 
horse. If you are any judge of horses, your own 
judgment, better than a page of directions, will enable 
you to pick out your horse. He should also be healthy ; 
it is waste time to teach a cripple that which he can 
not perform well, if at all. 

Now, presuming you have the right kind of a horse, 
observe strictly the following rules all through: 

1st. Never treat your horse with anything but kind- 
ness. You may have a whip, and crack and snap it; 
occasionally use it to good purpose around your horses' 
legs. He will soon learn whether you do it because 
you are his master, have a right to use it, and do not 
use it with cruelty, or whether you are unreasonable, 
bad tempered, and impatient. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 17 

2d. Never allow any one to feed, curry, or take any 
other care of your horse ; or, if you must occasionally 
commit him to other hands, they should be charged 
not to notice him, or play with him, but be as indif- 
ferent as possible in their treatment of him. Your 
horse should learn that no one loves him or cares for 
him but yourself. You should endeavor, by every pos- 
sible method, to impress him with the idea that he is 
your horse, your pet, your friend, and must do all these 
things which you are teaching him just for your 
gratification alone. 

3d. Never allow any other horse, animal, child, or 
man to be present while you are giving instruction. 
After he has become familiar with his lessons and per- 
forms them well; after you are satisfied and lie is satis- 
fied,, that the thing is well done, then you may venture 
to introduce one spectator, then two, a dozen, or a 
thousand. But undertake -no new trick in presence 
of spectators. 

4th. Never undertake more than one thing at a time. 
However simple that thing may be, let your horse 
become familiar and dexterous in that before confusing 
him with anything else. 

5th. When your horse has performed well, always 
caress, fondle, and feed him. Put your head up to his, 
and your arm around his neck, and tell him he is a 
fine boy, and shall have the best oats that can be had 
in market. He may not know the meaning of your 
words, but you can not say all this to a horse, without 
doing it in just the manner which indicates to him 
your affections, interest, and approval. This is just 
the very thing wanted. This is precisely the Oriental 
art of charming horses. It is to win his favor, excite 
2 



18 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

his pride and ambition, enlist his affections. A horse, 
and, indeed, for that matter, nearly all animals, have 
all the affections and instincts of man, and they only 
want to be appealed to, and enlisted in your behalf, 
when they will be ten times more obedient to your 
wishes, and subservient to your demands, than the 
most abject office-seeker is to the President, the Gov- 
ernor, or the "Dear People." 

Now, if you have picked out your horse, and will 
observe the above rules, you may begin by taking a 
handkerchief, and placing it in a certain part of the 
stable ; then, pointing to the handkerchief, say, " Bring 
me that handkerchief, sir," leading the horse to it, (first 
presuming, however, that he has seen and smelled of it 
twenty times before,) bearing his head toward it, and, 
at the same time, lifting it up to his mouth. Put it 
into his mouth ; if he is disposed to drop it, hold it to 
his mouth, and lead him to the other side of the stable 
and put it down. Now take the handkerchief and carry 
it back to where you put it first, then come back to the 
horse and say as before, (in fact, always use the same 
expression and in the same tone of voice,) " Bring me 
that handkerchief, sir ;" if he does not start for it, lead 
him as before, and pass through the whole ceremony 
precisely as the first time. The third or fourth time, 
you can venture to snap your whip and manifest some 
signs of displeasure, but finish with a friendly gesture 
and word, and again lead him to the object, and go 
through the whole round of ceremony. He will, at 
length, go so far as to go and take the handkerchief 
in his mouth, and then, from pure mischief, perhaps, 
shake it about, or carry it anywhere else but where 
you want him to. Then snap your whip, and again 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 19 

make him carry it to the place where you were stand- 
ing or sitting. Follow this up and you will soon learn 
your horse to bring your handkerchief to you without 
your moving from your position ; then your hat, gloves, 
or any other object. 

If it is a pail, and he takes hold of it by its side 
instead of the handle, go to him, take it from his 
mouth, and put the handle in his mouth, saying, " That 
is not right, sir; this is the way 1" Some such expres- 
sion as this should be always used, and always in 
precisely the same way, when he does not perform 
correctly, and he will soon learn what is meant by it, if 
applied to any other transaction improperly performed. 

You can now go on and teach your horse anything 
you please. You can teach him to go and bring your 
cows or sheep for you ; and though he will not learn it 
as readily, nor be as serviceable for that purpose as a 
well-trained dog, yet the novelty of the transaction well 
repays for the extra trouble that is taken. 

It is by such means that a circus horse is taught to 
lie down or sit up ; hold up one foot or the other at 
command ; shake his head, as if to say No, and nod his 
head as if to say Yes, to any question ; to turn half way 
or all the way around, and remain in that position un- 
til he hears a certain word. To pick out the letters of 
the alphabet, and spell, not any word, but such words 
as he has been taught to spell. There is, in fact noth- 
ing which you may not teach a horse to do, if you will. 
But you must observe strictly the above rules. Any 
one else tampering with your horse, and directing him 
in a little different way, causes him to mistake, and he 
is as sensitive of the mistake as a man would be, and 
will not like to try it again. 



20 DR. XESS'S NEW METHOD 

How to make a Horse lie down. 

Everything that we want to teach the horse must be 
commenced in some way to give him an idea of what 
you want him to do, and then be repeated till he learns 
it perfectly. To make a horse lie down, bend his left 
fore leg, and slip a loop over it, so that he cannot get 
it down. Then put a circingle around his body, and 
fasten one end of a long strap around the other fore 
leg, just above the hoof. Place the other end under 
the circingle, so as to keep the strap in the right hand ; 
stand on the left side of the horse, grasp the bit in your 
left hand, pull steadily on the strap with your right; 
bear against his shoulder till you cause him to move. 
As soon as he lifts his weight, your pulling will raise 
the other foot, and he will have to come on his knees. 
Keep the strap tight in your hand, so that he cannot 
straighten his leg if he raises up. Hold him in his 
position, and turn his head toward you ; bear against 
his side with your shoulder, not hard, but with a steady, 
equal pressure, and in about ten minutes he will lie 
down. As soon as he lies down he will be completely 
conquered, and you can handle him as you please. 
Take off the straps, and straighten out his legs ; rub 
him lightly about the face and neck with your hand the 
way the hair lays ; handle all his legs, and after he has 
lain ten or twenty minutes, let him get up again. After 
resting him a short time, make him lie down as before. 
Repeat the operation three or four times, which will be 
sufficient for one lesson. Give him two lessons a day, 
and when you have given him four lessons, he will lie 
down by taking hold of one foot. As soon as he is 
well broken to lie down in this way, tap him on the 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 21 

opposite leg with a stick when you take hold of his 
foot, and in a few days he will lie down from the mere 
motion of the stick. 

How to make a Horse follow you. 

Turn him into a large stable or shed, where there 
is no chance to get out, with a halter or bridle on. Go 
to him and gentle him a little, take hold of his halter 
and turn him toward you, at the same time touching 
him lightly over the hips with a long whip. Lead him 
the length of the stable, rubbing him on the neck, say- 
ing, in a steady tone of voice, as you lead him, Come 
along, boy ! or use his name instead of boy, if you 
choose. Every time you turn, touch him slightly with 
the whip, to make him step up close to you, and then 
caress him with your hand. He will soon learn to 
hurry up to escape the whip and be caressed, and you 
can make him follow you around without taking hold 
of the halter. If he should stop and turn from you, 
give him a few cuts about the hind legs, and he will 
soon turn his head toward you, when you must always 
caress him. A few lessons of this kind will make him 
run after you, when he sees the motion of the whip — 
in twenty or thirty minutes he will follow you about 
the stable. After you have given him two or three 
lessons in the stable, take him out into a small lot and 
train him ; and from thence you can take him into the 
road and make him follow you anywhere, and run after 
you. 

Breaking Colts. 

There is a great difference in colts, and consequently 
some will, of necessity, be harder to break than others. 



22 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

But the methods are the same in nature with all colts, 
Some will require much more time and patience than 
others ; but whatever the amount of time, it is of no 
use for you to fret, worry, swear, and rave at them. 
For every minute spent in raving at them, you will 
have to spend ten in gentleness, kindness, and patience 
afterward. It is seldom that a colt must be tamed on 
the very day you at first select, and when you or they 
are likely to get out of patience, it is better to postpone 
operations till another time. 

The first thing is to approach him, in the stable, or a 
small inclosure, in a familiar, friendly manner, with 
nothing in your hand, and no person or animal in sight. 
As you approach, extend one hand toward him and 
commence talking to him in a low tone of voice. Speak 
plain and pleasant, keep talking ; a horse loves a per- 
son that has much to say, if he is good-natured; call 
him by some endearing name, as you can not do this 
without showing your friendship for him. 

As you draw near the horse or colt, if he turns from 
you, stop until he stops and has taken another look at 
you. He will then allow you to approach still nearer. 
If he again starts, stop yourself again. It is of no use 
to follow him while he is in motion. He can move 
faster than you can, and will only widen the distance 
between you. When he finds you have not hurt him 
by being within two rods of him, he may let you come 
within a rod and a half. If you can not get up to his 
head and take hold of it within fifteen or twenty min- 
utes, better postpone the attempt for an hour or two, 
or longer, at convenience. 

When you have succeeded in reaching his head, pat 
him on the neck, put your head close \o his, and talk 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 23 

to him, and he will soon be pleased with the familiarity. 
If you are not in too great haste, it is better to do this 
with him frequently, before approaching him with any- 
thing in your hand. 

So much being accomplished, you can now approach 
him with a halter, whip, or anything else ; but if he turns 
from you, do not follow him up. Leave him and again 
go with nothing in your hand. Be exceedingly careful 
you do not lose favor with him ; if you do, you must 
begin all over again. Once his friend, never let him 
suppose you are or can be his enemy. 

After you have fondled with him several times with 
a whip, halter, harness, or anything else you please, 
take a leather halter (in no case use a rope halter) and 
put it to his nose, then rub it on his neck, around his 
head, mouth, and nose, being careful always not to ap- 
proach too near his eyes. Do this frequently before 
putting it over his head. When you get ready, put it 
over his head so easily and with so much unconcern, 
that he will not know you have any designs in doing it. 
Do not attempt now to fasten it, unless he is very tame 
and submissive. Take another opportunity. 

After your colt has become used to the feeling of the 
halter, you can then lead him about; but if he falls 
back, go up to him and pat him on the neck. Don't 
let him have a chance to try his strength ; if you do, 
he will find out that he is stronger than you are. This 
neither a colt nor a horse ever ought to know. When 
you have succeeded thus far with him, and you and he 
have had no " falling out," you can go on step by step, 
making him familiar, by degrees, with every kind of 
service to which he is liable to be called. 

Every colt should be made familiar with drums, fifes, 



24 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

horns, railroad cars ; and with various colors and 
objects. But never approach them or look at them 
while making any uncommon noise for the purpose of 
breaking them. Whatever you do in this line, should 
be done, at first, at a distance, until the colt cares 
nothing about it ; then approach a step nearer. Avoid 
all sudden frights. I once knew a young horse to be 
so badly frightened at the noise and sudden motion of 
a company of children coming out of a school-room, 
that he would shy off the track for months if two or 
three children passed him on the road. I have known 
horses to be equally frightened at a rail car. It is 
better to pasture them, if possible, near, but not too 
near, a railroad track, and then in a lot adjoining a 
track. If you can not do this, the first opportunity 
you can have, take them near, but again, not too near, 
a railroad track. Next time a little nearer, always 
letting them sec the cars as they pass. Colts that are 
properly trained to familiarity with all such things as 
they are likely to see and hear, will never afterward 
be frightened while in the harness. Of course most 
of the above applies only to colts that are very skittish. 

Kicking. 

This is generally brought on by boys tampering with 
the legs of the horse, or by poultry running around 
his legs and annoying him, or by the reins, etc., getting 
under his tail or around his legs while on the road. 
Prevention here, as in all other bad habits, is worth 
more than cure. It is a very difficult matter to break 
a horse of the habit of kicking at every little annoy- 
ance, when once the habit is confirmed. 



OP MANAGING HORSES. 25 

Kicking against the sides of the stall can generally 
be prevented by attaching thorns to the sides of the 
stall, or anything that will prickle without injuring the 
feet. Kicking in the harness is best conquered by 
stout straps, so adjusted as to prevent his raising his 
hind feet. The strap must be very strong and a little 
springy, and then, it must be resorted to more for the 
purpose of preventing the horse from breaking the 
carriage, than with any expectation of reforming him. 

The best plan is to begin early with your colt; or, 
if your colt is already a horse, then begin at once a 
thorough system of training, to get him used to vari- 
ous annoyances by degrees, and with kind treatment, 
as in the manner herein recommended for putting on 
the bridle. Any horse can be taught to disregard the 
reins getting under his tail, or the foot-board coming 
up against him, just as easily as he can be reconciled 
to the saddle or the bits. All such things are an 
annoyance to the horse or colt, when first submitted to. 
The drum and fife, and other musical instruments are 
an annoyance; so also the railroad car and the steam 
whistle. We train our horses to such things — then 
why not train them to everything with which they are 
likely to be annoyed. Any man who does not love a 
horse well enough, or who does not take enough pride 
in him to guard him in the first four years of his life 
against the dangers of the future, should never own a 
horse. He should at once adopt some branch of busi- 
ness that will enable him to get along without a horse, 
and forever afterward resort to the railroad car and 
the steamboat. 



26 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

How to catch Colts in the Pastures or Prairies. 

If they are very wild or shy, two or even three 
should be employed to go on all sides and gradually 
approach them. Do not look directly at them, nor 
approach in a direct line, nor raise the hands as if to 
head them off. You must not let them mistrust that 
you want to catch them. Let one who is on a horse 
approach slowly, and if your horse will nibble the 
grass, let him do so a minute, and then take a step 
nearer; by such means you can soon go in among them, 
and after your horse has smelled of them and they of 
him, then turn toward your home, and in most cases 
they will follow into the barn yard. If they will not 
do it at first, perseverance will always succeed. It is 
sometimes well, but not always necessary, to feed them. 

Avoid all haste, noise, flurry, and excitement. If you 
get out of patience, do not let your colts know it ; if 
you do, you will have lost all your labor thus far. If 
you can not control yourself in this matter, it is doubtful 
whether you can control the colts after you catch them. 
I firmly believe that the wildest prairie colt may be 
caught without the lasso or the trap, if one has suffi- 
cient patience, and exercises a little dexterity and pru- 
dence. 

Slipping the Halter. 

Some horses are very dexterous at this, and almost 
always succeed in getting loose in the stable, keeping 
other horses awake, and endangering their own limbs to 
the kicks of others, besides other evils. 

The web of the halter should be made so as to slip 
only one way ; or a strap may be buckled around the 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 27 

neck, and attached to the halter just tight enough not 
to injure or annoy him, but to prevent his slipping it 
off. 

Restlessness wliile toeing shod. 

If a young horse is unwilling to be shod, he should 
be allowed to see several others go through the opera- 
tion before taking his turn. This, with other means 
of gentleness, will generally succeed. But if not, then 
it will be necessary to put your horse through a regular 
course of training — to do, in fact, what should have 
been done before he was ever sent to be shod at all. 

Take his foot up frequently and hold it as the smith 
does, until he cares nothing about it, then hammer it, 
and do whatever else will be an imitation of the process 
of sho.eing. By such means your horse will be pre- 
pared for an operation which would otherwise be strange 
to him. A horse does not refuse to be shod from mere 
bad temper ; it is because he does not know what you 
want to do with his foot, or he has been roughly handled, 
badly trained, or previously maimed by some careless 
smith. 

To prevent rolling in the Stall. 

This is a very dangerous habit, and can be prevented 
only by tying the horse so that he can lie down, but 
not touch his head to the floor. This is very tiresome 
to the horse, and hence, if you care enough for his 
comfort and health, build a narrow platform, eighteen 
to twenty-four inches in width, slanting at an angle of 
thirty to forty degrees, so that it will form a pillow for 
his head and neck ; then adjust a rope so that as he lies 
down, his head will naturally rest on the platform or 



28 BR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

pillow. He will not roll, unless he can get his head as 
low as the floor of the stable. 



How to break Horses from balking. 

In the first place never teach your horse to balk, by 
giving him a greater load than he can carry, or requir- 
ing him to go up too steep a hill without permitting 
him to stop. If you tell him to stop, in going up a steep 
hill, it is better than to allow him to do it of his own 
accord. If he finds he can stop of his own will, and 
start when he pleases, he will soon learn to do it when 
he ought not to. If at any time he stops without your 
stopping him, give him a sharp cut, and make him go 
on, even if you think he ought to stop at that very 
place ; but soon yourself give him an opportunity to 
stop. This will teach him that he is to stop only at 
your will, and that you are not unreasonable in your 
demands. I believe that all balky horses are in the 
first instance taught to balk by their careless and incon- 
siderate owners, who overload them, and allow them to 
stop or go according to their own will. Once a horse 
finds he can stop at will without reproof, he will stop, 
perhaps on a smooth road, or in the middle of a village, 
or on the street of a city, where you will be mortified as 
well as discommoded. 

But what shall we do with a horse who has thor- 
oughly learned to balk, and whom whipping only hard- 
ens ? Desperate remedies should sometimes be used 
for desperate cases, and you may in such cases either 
kill your horse as not being worthy the oats you give 
him, or you may fasten him to a strong carriage, put 
)a a strong harness and reins, and seating yourself 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 29 

firmly in the vehicle, drive on ; if he balks, set fire to 
a bunch of shavings or a newspaper at his heels, or a 
bunch of fire-crackers ; he is bound to go in such case — 
perhaps too fast for you — but of this you must run 
your risk. It is a desperate remedy, but when kind- 
ness and good treatment do not succeed, such a remedy 
will succeed better, and is more humane than beating, 
unmerciful whipping, etc., which seldom succeed at all. 

Crib Biting. 

This is a bad habit, and very annoying to the owner 
of a horse. Various remedies have been tried, such as 
ironing the manger, partitions, etc. I know of no cer- 
tain cure but an iron muzzle, with bars just wide enough 
apart to allow the horse to pick up his grain and draw 
out his hay with his tongue, but not to get hold of any- 
thing with his teeth. If this habit is not broken it will 
soon be imitated by every horse in the stable. 

To make a Horse lie down at Night. 

Horses that never lie down when they sleep will not 
do as well as those who are in the habit of it. They 
perhaps are afraid of being caught by the halter, or they 
have already been cast in the night, and do not like to 
try it again. Such horses should be let loose in a stable 
at night, or in a large stall, without being tied, and fur- 
nished with a tempting bed, until the habit of lying down 
is acquired, and the fear of it removed. 

Unwillingness to be mounted. 

In some this is mere playfulness, while in others it 
is a decided unwillingness to be driven. Give such 



30 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

horses as the former more hay and less oats, and never 
let them start immediately on your mounting them or 
getting into the carriage. A systematic and persever- 
ing course of such treatment will, in the end, usually 
teach the horse that you are not ready for him to go 
the instant you touch your foot to the stirrup, but you 
have gloves or mittens to put on, or your reins to adjust, 
and it is useless for him to be in a hurry. 

But if it is because he does not want to go, then it 
may be he wants more oats and less hay ; or he has 
been perhaps badly used when out on former occasions. 
In either case, however, whipping does no good ; indeed 
I am satisfied that for all viciousness in horses, whip- 
ping does no good, but only aggravates the evil. An 
occasional sharp crack with the whip, followed by tones 
of friendship familiar to the horse, will generally do 
good ; but if your horse has never heard you use such 
tones, then you had better sell him at once, and get a 
horse without bad habits — some drone which has not 
life enough in him to be restless, and not strength 
enough to kick. 

Running away. 

The best way to cure this, if it is a settled habit, is 
to get your horse on a good road, and if he starts, let 
him go, and the moment he slacks give him a sharp cut 
w T ith the whip, until he has had as much running as he 
wants. 

Restiveness. 

This is one of the worst manifestations in the horse. 
It is the result of bad management in the early train- 
ing of the horse, and when once a settled habit, it be- 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 31 

comes dangerous to any but the best rider or driver to 
attempt his management. Whipping, hallooing, jerking 
and yanking with the bridle only make the matter worse. 
If you can not soothe such a horse by kind treatment, 
you had better give him up as a hopeless case. 

Biting. 

This is generally the result of allowing boys to "fool ** 
with a horse, by pointing sticks at him ; though some- 
times the cause is in the natural disposition of the horse. 
Here again, whipping is of no use. Stewart says, he 
has seen horses whipped till nearly dead, but to no 
effect. If you can obtain something exceedingly dis- 
agreeable to the taste of a horse, as some very bitter 
herb, saturate a piece of cloth and wind it around a 
stick' for him to bite at ; it will often, in connection with 
kind treatment, have a tendency to break him. A 
single sharp cut of the whip across the mouth on the 
instant, will sometimes do good; but unmerciful whip- 
ping, raving, swearing — never. 

The Author's fancy for a Trick Horse. 

Color is quite immaterial, otherwise than to please 
the eye; a thorough-bred is best — a half-blood will do — 
about fifteen or sixteen hands high. Be sure he or 
she is sound in body, limbs, and wind; head, neck, and 
withers high ; wide between the eyes ; large and red 
nostrils ; top of the neck small ; ears small and well 
set forward; active; eyes large and full; countenance 
bright and intelligent ; mane and foretop good length ; 
tail medium and natural length, carried up well when 
he or she moves ; medium-sized and sound dark hoofs ; 



32 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

fetlock joints springy; proud and bold in look and 
movement ; clean taper limbs, with good muscle ; a 
mare or stallion would be preferable ; the less he or she 
has been handled the better; age, two or three years. 

[I have spoken on this subject before, but owing to 
a request of some of my friends, I have here given a 
more perfect description, so one not being a judge of 
horses can select a trick horse. — The Author.] 



A FEW REMARKS ON THE COLT, 

TAKEN FROM OTHER AUTHORS. 



How to Succeed in Getting the Colt from Pasture. 

Go to the pasture and walk around the whole herd 
quietly, and at such a distance as not to cause them to 
scare and run. Then approach them very slowly, and 
if they stick up their heads and seem to be frightened, 
hold on until they become quiet, so as not to make 
them run before you are close enough to drive them 
in the direction you want to go. And when you begin 
to drive, do not flourish your arms or halloo, but gently 
follow them off, leaving the direction free for them that 
you wish them to take. Thus taking advantage of 
their ignorance, you will be able to get them in the 
pound as easily as the hunter drives the quails into 
his net. For, if they have always run into the pasture 
uncared for, (as many horses do in prairie countries 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 33 

and on large plantations,) there is no reason why they 
should not be as wild as the sportsman's birds, and 
require the same gentle treatment, if you want to get 
them without trouble ; for the horse, in his natural state, 
is as wild as any of the undomesticated animals, though 
more easily tamed than most of them. 



How to stable a Colt without Trouble. 

The next step will be, to get the horse into a stable 
or shed. This should be done as quietly as possible, 
so as not to excite any suspicion in the horse of any 
danger befalling him. The best way to do this, is to 
lead a gentle horse into the stable first and hitch him, 
then quietly walk around the colt and let him go in 
of his own accord. It is almost impossible to get men 
who have never practiced on this principle, to go slow 
and considerate about it. They do not know that in 
handling a wild horse, above all other things, is that 
good old adage true, that " haste makes waste ;" that is, 
waste of time, for the gain of trouble and perplexity. 

One wrong move may frighten your horse, and make 
him think it is necessary to escape at all hazards for 
the safety of his life, and thus make two hours' work 
of a ten minutes' job ; and this would be all your own 
fault, and entirely unnecessary, for he will not run 
unless you run after him, and that would not be good 
policy, unless you knew that you could outrun him ; 
or you will have to let him stop of his own accord after 
all. But he will, not try to break away, unless you 
attempt to force him into measures. If he does not 
see the way at once, and is a little fretful about going 
in, do not undertake to drive him, but give him a little 



34 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

less room outside, by gently closing in around him. 
Do not raise your arms, but let them hang at your 
side, for you might as well raise a club. The horse 
has never studied anatomy, and does not know but 
they will unhinge themselves and fly at him. If he 
attempts to turn back, walk before him, but do not run ; 
and if he gets past you, encircle him again in the same 
quiet manner, and he will soon find that you are not 
going to hurt him ; and you can soon walk so close 
around him that he will go into the stable for more room, 
and to get further from you. As soon as he is in, 
remove the quiet horse and shut the door. This will 
be his first notion of confinement, not knowing how to 
get in such a place, nor how to get out of it. That 
he may take it as quietly as possible, see that the shed 
is entirely free from dogs, chickens, or anything that 
would annoy him; then give him a few ears of corn, 
let him remain alone fifteen or twenty minutes, until 
he has examined his apartment, and has become recon- 
ciled to his confinement. 

Time to Reflect. 

And now, while your colt is eating those few ears 
of corn, is the proper time to see that your halter is 
ready and all right, and to reflect on the best mode of 
operations; for, in the horse-breaking, it is highly im- 
portant that you should be governed by some system. 
And you should know, before you attempt to do any- 
thing, just what you are going to do, and how you are 
going to do it. And, if you are experienced in the art 
of taming wild horses, you ought to be able to tell, 
within a few minutes, the length of time it would take 
you to halter the colt, and teach him to lead. 



OF MANAGING HOKSES. 35 

The Kind of Halter. 

Always use a leather halter, and be sure to have it 
made so that it will not draw tight around his nose if 
he pulls on it. It should be of the right size to fit 
his head easily and nicely ; so that the nose band will 
not be too tight or too low. Never put a rope halter 
on an unbroken colt under any circumstances whatever; 
They have caused more horses to hurt or kill them- 
selves, than would pay for twice the cost of all the 
leather halters that have ever been needed for the 
purpose of haltering colts. It is almost impossible to 
break a colt that is very wild with a rope halter, with- 
out having him pull, rear, and throw himself, and thus 
endanger his life ; and I will tell you why. It is just 
as* natural for a horse to try to get his head out of 
anything that hurts it or feels unpleasant, as it would 
be for you to try to get your hand out of a fire. The 
cords of the rope are hard and cutting; this makes 
him raise his head and draw on it, and, as soon as he 
pulls, the slip noose (the way rope halters are always 
made) tightens, and pinches his nose, and then he will 
struggle for life, until, perchance, he throws himself; 
and who would have his horse throw himself, and run 
the risk of breaking his neck, rather than pay the price 
of a leather halter. But this is not the worst. A 
horse that has once pulled on his halter, can never be 
as well broke as one that has never pulled at all. 

Remarks on the Horse. 

But before we attempt to do anything more with the 
colt, I will give you some of the characteristics of his 



36 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

nature, that you may better understand his motions. 
Every one that has ever paid any attention to the horse, 
has noticed his natural inclination to smell of every- 
thing which to him looks new and frightful. This is 
their strange mode of examining everything. And, 
when they are frightened at anything, though they 
look at it sharply, they seem to have no confidence in 
this optical examination alone, but must touch it with 
the nose before they are entirely satisfied ; and, as soon 
as this is done, all is right. 



Experiments with the Robe. 

If you want to satisfy yourself of this characteristic 
of the horse, and learn something of importance con- 
cerning the peculiarities of his nature, etc., turn him 
into the barn: yard, or a large stable will do, and then 
gather up something that you know will frighten him ; 
a red blanket, a buffalo robe, or something of that kind. 
Hold it up so that he can see it; he will stick up his 
head and snort. Then throw it down somewhere in the 
center of the lot or barn, and walk off to one side. 
Watch his motions, and study his nature. If he is 
frightened at the object, he will not rest until he has 
touched it with his nose. You will see him begin to 
walk around the robe and snort, all the time getting a 
little closer, as if drawn up by some magic spell, until 
he finally gets within reach of it. He will then very 
cautiously stretch out his neck as far as he can reach, 
merely touching it with his nose, as though he thought 
it was ready to fly at him. But after he has repeated 
these touches a few times, for the first (though he has 
been looking at it all the time) he seems to have an 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 37 

idea what it is. But now he has found, by the sense 
of feeling, that it is nothing that will do him any harm, 
and he is ready to play with it. And if you watch him 
closely, you will see him take hold of it with his teeth, 
and raise it up and pull at it. And, in a few minutes, 
you can see that he has not that same wild look about 
his eye, but stands like a horse biting at some familiar 
stump. 

Yet the horse is never as well satisfied when he is 
about anything that has frightened him, as when he is 
standing with his nose to it. And, in nine cases out 
of ten, you will see some of that same wild look about 
him again, as he turns to walk from it. And you will, 
probably, see him looking back very suspiciously as 
he walks away, as though he thought it might come 
after him yet. And, in all probability, he will have to 
go back and make another examination before he is 
satisfied. But he will familiarize himself with it, and, 
if he should run into that lot a few days, the robe that 
frightened him so much at first, will be no more to him 
than a familiar stump. 



Suppositions on the Sense of Smelling. 

We might very naturally suppose, from the fact of 
the horse's applying his nose to everything new to him, 
that he always does so for the purpose of smelling 
these objects. But I believe that it is as much or more 
for the purpose of feeling ; and that he makes use of 
his nose or muzzle, (as it is sometimes called,) as we 
would of our hands ; because it is the only organ by which 
he can touch or feel anything with much susceptibility. 

I believe that he invariably makes use of the four 



38 DR. NESS S NEW METHOD 

senses, seeing, hearing, smelling, and feeling, in all of 
his examinations, of which the sense of feeling is, per- 
haps, the most important. And I think that in the 
experiment with the robe, his gradual approach and 
final touch with his nose, was as much for the purpose 
of feeling, as anything else, his sense of smell being 
so keen, that it would not be necessary for him to touch 
his nose against anj^thing in order to get the proper 
scent ; for it is said that a horse can smell a man the 
distance of a mile. And, if the scent of the robe was 
all that was necessary, he could get that several rods 
off. But, we know from experience, that if a horse 
sees and smells a robe a short distance from him, he 
is very much frightened, (unless he is used to it,) until 
he touches or feels it with his nose ; which is a positive 
proof that feeling is the controlling sense in this case. 



Prevailing Opinion of Horsemen, 

It is a prevailing opinion among horsemen generally, 
that the sense of smell is the governing sense of the 
horse. And Foucher, as well as others, have, with 
that view, got up recipes of strong smelling oils, etc., 
to tame the horse, sometimes using the chestnut of his 
leg, which they dry, grind into powder, and blow into 
his nostrils ; sometimes using the oil of rhodium, 
origanum, etc., that are noted for their strong smell ; 
and sometimes they scent the hands with the sweat 
from under the arm, or blow their breath into his 
nostrils, etc. All of which, as far as the scent goes, 
have no effect whatever in gentling the horse, or con- 
veying any idea to his mind; though the works that 
accompany these efforts— handling him, touching him 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 39 

about the nose and head, and patting him, as they 
direct you should, after administering the articles, may 
have a very great effect, which they mistake to be the 
ingredients used. And Faucher, in his work entitled, 
The Arabian Art of Taming Horses, page 17, tells us 
how to accustom a horse to a robe, by administering 
certain articles to his nose; and goes on to say, that 
these articles must first be applied to the horse's nose 
before you attempt to break him, in order to operate 
successfully. 

Now, reader, can you, or any one else, give one single 
reason how scent can convey any idea to the horse's 
mind of what we want him to do ? If not, then, of 
course, strong scents of any kind are of no account in 
taming the unbroken horse. For everything that we 
get him to do of his own accord, without force, must 
be accomplished by some means of conveying our ideas 
to his mind. I say to my horse, " Go 'long ;" and he 
goes; "Ho!" and he stops; because these two words, 
of which he has learned the meaning by the tap of the 
whip, and the pull of the rein that first accompanied 
them, convey the two ideas to his mind of go and 
stop. 

Faucher, or no one else, can ever teach the horse a 
single thing by the means of a scent alone. 

How long do you suppose a horse would have to 
stand and smell of a bottle of oil before he would learn 
to bend his knee and make a bow at your bidding, "go 
yonder and bring your hat, 7 ' or "come here and lay 
down ? " Thus you see the absurdity of trying to break 
or tame the horse by means of recipes for articles to 
smell of, or medicine to give him, of any kind what- 
ever. 



40 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

The only science that has ever existed in the world, 
relative to the breaking of horses, that has been of any 
account, is that true method which takes them in their 
native state, and improves their intelligence. 



Powers System of Approaching the Colt. 

But, before we go further, I will give you Willis J. 
Powel's system of approaching a wild colt, as given by 
him in a work published in Europe, about the year 
1814, on the Art of Taming Wild Horses. He says: 
"A horse is gentled by my secret in from two to six- 
teen hours." The time I have most commonly em- 
ployed has been from four to six hours. He goes on 
to say : " Cause your horse to be put in a small yard, 
stable, or room. If in a stable or room, it ought to be 
large, in order to give him some exercise with the halter 
before you lead him out. If the horse belongs to that 
class which appears only to fear man, you must intro- 
duce yourself gently into the stable, room, or yard 
where the horse is. He will naturally run from you; 
and frequently turn his head from you ; but you must 
walk about extremely slow and softly, so that he can 
see you whenever he turns his head toward you, which 
he never fails to do in a short time, say in a quarter 
of an hour. I never knew one to be much longer 
without turning toward me. 

"At the very moment he turns his head, hold out 
your left hand toward him, and stand perfectly still, 
keeping your eyes upon the horse, watching his mo- 
tions, if he makes any. If the horse does not stir for 
ten or fifteen minutes, advance as slowly as possible, 
and without making the least noise, always holding out 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 41 

jour left hand, without any other ingredient in it than 
that what nature put in it." He says: "I have made 
use of certain ingredients before people, such as the 
sweat under my arm, etc., to disguise the real secret, 
and many believed that the docility to which the horse 
arrived in so short a time, was owing to these ingre- 
dients ; but you see, from this explanation, that they 
were of no use whatever. The implicit faith placed in 
these ingredients, though innocent of themselves, be- 
comes ' faith without works/ And thus men remained 
always in doubt concerning this secret. If the horse 
makes the least motion when you advance toward him, 
stop, and remain perfectly still until he is quiet. Re- 
main a few moments in this condition, and then advance 
again in the same slow and imperceptible manner. Take 
notice : if the horse stirs, stop without changing your 
position. It is very uncommon for the horse to stir 
more than once after you begin to advance, yet there 
are exceptions. He generally keeps his eyes steadfast 
on you, until you get near enough to touch him on the 
forehead. When you are thus near to him, raise slowly, 
and by degrees, your hand, and let it come in contact 
with that part just above the nostrils, as lightly as pos- 
sible. If the horse flinches, (as many will,) repeat with 
great rapidity these light strokes upon the forehead, 
going a little further up toward his ears by degrees, 
and descending with the same rapidity, until he will 
let you handle his forehead all over. Now let the 
strokes be repeated with more force over all his fore- 
head, descending by lighter strokes to each side of his 
head, until you can handle that part with equal facility. 
Then touch, in the same light manner, making your 
hands and fingers play around the lower part of the 
4 



42 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

horse's ears, coming down now and then to his fore- 
head, which may be looked upon as the helm that 
governs all the rest. 

" Having succeeded in handling his ears, advance 
toward the neck, with the same precautions, and in the 
same manner; observing always to augment the force 
of the strokes whenever the horse will permit it. 
Perform the same on both sides of the neck, until he 
lets you take it in your arms without flinching. 

" Proceed in the same progressive manner to the 
sides, and then to the back of the horse. Every time 
the horse shows any nervousness, return immediately 
to the forehead, as the true standard, patting him with 
your hands, and from thence rapidly to where you had 
already arrived, always gaining ground a considerable 
distance further on every time this happens. The 
head, ears, neck, and body being thus gentled, proceed 
from the back to the root of the tail. 

"This must be managed w T ith dexterity, as a horse 
is never to be depended on that is skittish about the 
tail. Let your hand fall lightly and rapidly on that 
part next to the body a minute or two, and then you 
will begin to give it a slight pull upward every quarter 
of a minute. At the same time you continue this 
handling of him, augment the force of the strokes, as 
well as the raising of the tail, until you can raise it 
and handle it with the greatest ease, which commonly 
happens in a quarter of an hour in most horses ; in 
others almost immediately, and in some much longer. 
It now T remains to handle all his legs. From the tail 
come back again to the head, handle it well, as like- 
wise the ears, breast, neck, etc., speaking now and then 
to the horse. Begin by degrees to descend to the legs, 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 43 

always ascending and descending, gaining ground every 
time you descend, until you get to his feet. 

" Talk to the horse in Latin, Greek, French, English, 
or Spanish, or in any other language you please ; but 
let him hear the sound of your voice, which, at the 
beginning of the operation, is not quite so necessary, 
but which I have always done in making him lift up 
his feet. Hold up your foot, ' Levez le pied,' ' Alza el 
pie/ ' Aron ton poda,' etc., at the same time lift his foot 
with your hand. He soon becomes familiar with the 
sounds, and will hold his foot up at command. Then 
proceed to the hind feet, and go on in the same man- 
ner, and in a short time the horse will let you lift them, 
and even take them up in your arms. 

"All this operation is no magnetism, no galvanism; 
it is .merely taking away the fear a horse generally has 
of a man, and familiarizing the animal with his master. 
As the horse doubtless experiences a certain pleasure 
from this handling, he will soon become gentle under 
it, and show a very marked attachment to his keeper." 



Remarks on Powers Treatment how to govern 
Horses of any Kind. 

These instructions are very good, but not quite suffi- 
cient for horses of all kinds, and for haltering and lead- 
ing the colt : but I have inserted it here, because it gives 
some of the true philosophy of approaching the horse, 
and of establishing confidence between man and horse. 
He speaks only of the kind that fear man. 

To those who understand the philosophy of horse- 
manship, these are the easiest trained; for when we 
have a horse that is wild and lively, we can train him 



44 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

to our will in a very short time ; for they are gen- 
erally quick to learn, and always ready to obey. But 
there is another kind, that are of a stubborn or vicious 
disposition, and, although they are not wild, and do not 
require taming, in the sense it is generally understood, 
they are just as ignorant as a wild horse, if not more 
so, and need to be taught just as much; and, in order 
to have them obey quickly, it is very necessary that 
they should be made to fear their masters ; for, in order 
to obtain perfect obedience from any horse, we must 
first have him fear us, for our motto is, fear, love, and 
obey ; and we must have the fulfillment of the first two 
oefore we can expect the latter, and it is by our philoso- 
phy of creating fear, love and confidence, that we govern, 
to our will, every kind of a horse whatever. 

Then, in order to take horses as we find them, or all 
kinds, and to train them to our likings, we will always 
take with us, when we go into a stable to train a colt, 
a long switch whip, (whale-bone buggy whips are the 
best,) with a good silk cracker, so as to cut keen and 
make a sharp report, which, if handled with dexterity, 
and rightly applied, accompanied with a sharp, fierce 
word, will be sufficient to enliven the spirits of any 
horse. With this whip in your right hand, with the 
lash pointing backward, enter the stable alone. It is a 
great disadvantage in training a horse, to have any one 
in the stable with you; you should be entirely alone, 
so as to have nothing but yourself to attract his atten- 
tion. If he is wild you will soon see him in the oppo- 
site side of the stable from you ; and now is the time 
to use a little judgment. I would not want for myself 
more than half or three-quarters of an hour to handle 
any kind of a colt, and have him running about in the 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 45 

stable after me ; though I would advise a new beginner 
to take more time, and not be in too much of a hurry. 
If you have but one colt to gentle, and are not particu- 
lar about the length of time you spend, and have not 
had any experience in handling colts, I would advise 
you to take Mr. Powel's method at first, till you gentle 
him, which he says takes from two to six hours. But, 
as I want to accomplish the same, and, what is much 
more, teach the horse to lead in less than one hour, I 
shall give you a much quicker process of accomplishing 
the same end. Accordingly, when you have entered 
the stable, stand still and let your horse look at you a 
minute or two, and as soon as he is settled in one place, 
approach him slowly, with both arms stationary, your 
right hanging by your side, holding the whip as directed, 
and .the left bent at the elbow, with your hand project- 
ing. As you approach him, go not too much toward 
his head or croop, so as not to make him move either 
forward or backward, thus keeping your horse station- 
ary; if he does move a little forward or backward, step 
a little to the right or left very cautiously ; this will 
keep him in one place ; as you get very near him, draw 
a little to his shoulder, and stop a few seconds. If you 
are in his reach he will turn his head and smell at your 
hand, not that he has any preference for your hand, but 
because that it is projecting, and is the nearest portion 
of your body to the horse. This all colts will do, and 
they will smell of your naked hand just as quick as 
they will of anything that you can put in it, and with 
just as good an effect, however much some men have 
preached the doctrine of taming horses by giving them 
the scent articles from the hand. I have already proved 
that to be a mistake. As soon as he touches his nose 



46 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

to your hand, caress him as before directed, always 
using a very light, soft hand, merely touching the horse, 
always rubbing the way the hair lays, so that your hand 
will pass along as smoothly as possible. As you stand 
by his side you may find it more convenient to rub his 
neck or the side of his head, which w T ill answer the same 
purpose as rubbing his forehead. Favor every inclina- 
tion of the horse to smell or touch you with his nose. 
Always follow each touch or communication of this kind 
with the most tender and affectionate caresses, accom- 
panied with a kind look, and pleasant word of some sort, 
such as : Ho ! my little boy, ho ! my little boy, pretty 
boy, nice lady ! or something of that kind, constantly 
repeating the same words, with the same kind, steady 
tone of voice ; for the horse soon learns to read the ex- 
pression of the face and voice, and will know as well 
when fear, love, or anger, prevails as you know your 
own feelings ; two of which, feaT and anger, a good 
horseman should never feel. 

How to proceed if your Horse is of a Stubborn 
Disposition. 

If your horse, instead of being wild, seems to be of a 
stubborn or mulish disposition ; if he lays back his ears 
as you approach him, or turns his heels to kick you, he 
has not that regard or fear of man that he should have, 
to enable you to handle him quickly and easily ; and it 
might be well to give him a few sharp cuts with the whip, 
about the legs, pretty close to the body. It will crack 
keen as it plies around his legs, and the crack of the 
whip will affect him as much as the stroke ; besides, one 
sharp cut about his legs will affect him more than two 



OP MANAGING HORSES. 47 

or three over his back, the skin on the inner part of his 
legs, or about his flank being thinner and more tender than 
on his back. But do not whip him much, just enough 
to scare him ; it is not because we want to hurt the horse 
that we whip him ; we only do it to scare that bad dis- 
position out of him. But whatever you do, do quickly, 
sharply, and with a good deal of fire, but always with- 
out anger. If you are going to scare him at all you 
must do it at once. Never go into a pitched battle with 
your horse, and whip him till he is mad and will fight 
you ; you had better not touch him at all, for you will 
establish, instead of fear and regard, feelings of resent- 
ment, hatred, and ill-will. It will do him no good, but 
an injury, to strike a blow, unless you can scare him ; 
but if you succeed in scaring him, you can whip him 
without making him mad; for fear and anger never exist 
together in the horse, and as soon as one is visible, you 
will find that the other has disappeared. As soon as 
you have frightened him so that he will stand up straight 
and pay some attention to you, approach him again and 
caress him a good deal more than you whipped him; 
then you will excite the two controlling passions of his 
nature, love and fear, and then he will fear and love 
you too, and as soon as he learns what to do, will quickly 
obey. 

How to halter and lead the Colt. 

As soon as you have gentled the colt a little, take the 
halter in your left hand and approach him as before, 
and on the same side that you have gentled him. If he 
is very timid about your approaching closely to him, 
you can get up to him quicker by making the whip a 
part of your arm, and reaching out very gently with 



48 DE. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

the butt end of it, rubbing him lightly on the neck, all 
the time getting a little closer, shortening the whip by 
taking it up in your hand, until you finally get close 
enough to put your hands on him. If he is inclined to 
hold his head from you, put the end of the halter strap 
around his neck, drop your whip, and draw very gently ; 
he will let his neck give, and you can pull his head to 
you. Then take hold of that part of the halter which 
buckles over the top of his head, and pass the long side, 
or that part which goes into the buckle, under his neck, 
grasping it on the opposite side with your right hand, 
letting the first strap loose, the latter will be sufficient 
to hold his head to you. Lower the halter a little, just 
enough to get his nose into that part which goes around 
it, then raise it somewhat, and fasten the top buckle, 
and you will have it all right. The first time you halter 
a colt you should stand on the left side, pretty well back 
to his shoulder, only taking hold of that part of the hal- 
ter that goes around his neck, then, with your hands 
about his neck, you can hold his head to you, and raise 
the halter on it without making him dodge by putting 
your hands about his nose. You should have a long 
rope or strap ready, and as soon as you have the halter 
on, attach this to it, so that you can let him walk the 
length of the stable without letting go of the strap, or 
without making him pull on the halter, for if you only 
let him feel the weight of your hand on the halter, and 
give him rope when he runs from you, he will never 
rear, pull, or throw himself, yet you will be holding 
him all the time, and doing more toward gentling him 
than if you had the power to snub him right up, and 
hold him to one spot; because he does not know any- 
thing about his strength, and if you do n't do anything 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 49 

to make him pull, he will never know that he can. 
In a few minutes you can begin to control him with 
the halter, then shorten the distance between yourself 
and the horse, by taking up the strap in your hand. 

As soon as lie will allow you to hold him by a tolera- 
bly short strap, and step up to him without flying back, 
you can begin to give him some idea about leading. 
But to do this, do not go before and attempt to pull 
him after you, but commence by pulling him very 
quietly to one side. He has nothing to brace either 
side of his neck, and will soon yield to a steady, 
gradual pull of the halter; and, as soon as you have 
pulled him a step or two to one side, step up to him 
and caress him, and then pull him again, repeating 
this operation until you can pull him around in every 
direction, and walk about the stable with him, which 
you" can do in a few minutes, for he will soon think, 
when you have made him step to the right or left a 
few times, that he is compelled to follow the pull of 
the halter, not knowing that he has the power to resist 
your pulling ; besides, you have handled him so gently, 
that he is not afraid of you, and you always caress him 
when he comes up to you, and he likes that, and would 
just as leave follow you as not. And after he has had 
a few lessons of that kind, if you turn him out in a lot 
he will come up to you every opportunity he gets. 
You should lead him about in the stable some time 
before you take him out, opening the door, so that he 
can see out, leading him up to it and back again, and 
past it. See that there is nothing on the outside to 
make him jump, when .you take him out, and as you 
go out with him, try to make him go very slowly, 
catching hold of the halter close to the jaw, with your 
5 



50 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

left hand, while the right is resting on the top of the 
neck, holding to his mane. After you are out with 
him a little while, you can lead him about as you please. 
Don't let any second person come up to you when you 
first take him out; a stranger taking hold of the halter 
would frighten him, and make him run. There should 
not even he any one standing near him to attract his 
attention, or scare him. If you are alone, and manage 
him right, it will not require any more force to lead 
or hold him than it would to manage a broken horse. 



How to lead a Colt by the Side of a broken Horse. 

If you should want to lead your colt by the side of 
another horse, as is often the case, I would advise you 
to take your horse into the stable, attach a second 
strap to the colt's halter, and lead your horse up along- 
side of him. Then get on the broken horse and take 
one strap around his breast, under his martingale, (if 
he has any on,) holding it in your left hand. This 
will prevent the colt from getting back too far; besides, 
you will have more power to hold him, with the strap 
pulling against the horse's breast. The other strap 
take up in your right hand to prevent him from run- 
ning ahead ; then turn him about a few times in the 
stable, and if the door is wide enough, ride out with 
him in that position ; if not, take the broken horse out 
first, and stand his breast up against the door, then 
lead the colt to the same spot, and take the straps as 
before directed, one on each side of his neck, then let 
some one start the colt out, and as he comes out, turn 
your horse to the left, and you will have them all right. 
This is the best way to lead a colt; you can manage 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 51 

any kind of a colt in this way, without any trouble ; 
for, if he tries to run ahead, or pull back, the two 
straps will bring the horses facing each other, so 
that you can easily follow up his movements without 
doing much holding, and as soon as he stops running 
backward you are right with him, and all ready to go 
ahead. And if he gets stubborn and does not want to 
go, you can remove all his stubbornness by riding your 
horse against his neck, thus compelling him to turn to 
the right, and as soon as you have turned him about a 
few times, he will be willing to go along. The next 
thing, after you are through leading him, will be to 
take him into a stable, and hitch him in such a way as 
not to have him pull on the halter, and as they are 
often troublesome to get into a stable the first few 
times, I will give you some instructions about getting 
him in. 

How to lead a Colt into the Stable and liiteh him 
without having him pull on the Halter. 

You should lead the broken horse into the stable 
first, and get the colt, if you can, to follow in after 
him. If he refuses to go, step up to him, taking a 
little stick or switch in your right hand; then take 
hold of the halter close to his head with your left hand, 
at the same time reaching over his back with your right 
arm, so that you can tap him on the opposite side with 
your switch ; bring him up facing the door, tap him 
lightly with your switch, reaching as far back with it 
as you can. This tapping, by being pretty well back, 
and on the opposite side, will drive him ahead, and 
keep him close to you; then, by giving him the right 
direction with your left hand, you can walk into the 



52 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

stable with him. I have walked colts into the stable 
this way, in less than a minute, after men had worked 
at them half an hour, trying to pull them in. If you 
can not walk him in at once this way, turn him about 
and walk him round in every direction, until you can 
get him up to the door without pulling at him. Then 
let him stand a few minutes, keeping his head in, the 
ri<rht direction with the halter, and he will walk in in 
less than ten minutes. Never attempt to pull the colt 
into the stable ; that would make him think at once 
that it was a dangerous place, and if he was not afraid 
of it before, he would be then. Besides, we do n't want 
him to know anything about pulling on the halter. 
Colts are often hurt, and sometimes killed, by trying 
to force them into the stable; and those who attempt 
to do it in that way, go into an up-hill business, when 
a plain, smooth road is before them. 

If you want to hitch your colt, put him in a tolerably 
wide stall, which should not be too long, and should 
be connected by a bar, or something of that kind to the 
partition behind it ; so that, after the colt is in he can 
not get far enough back to take a straight, backward 
pull on the halter; then, by hitching him in the center 
of the stall, it would be impossible for him to pull on 
the halter, the partition behind preventing him from 
going back, and the halter in the center checking him 
every time he turns to the left or right. In a state of 
this kind you can break every horse to stand hitched by 
a light strap, anywhere, without his ever knowing any- 
thing about pulling. But if you have broken your horse 
to lead, and have taught him the use of the halter, 
(which you should always do before you hitch him to 
anything,) you can hitch him in any kind of a stall, 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 53 

and give him something to eat to keep him up to his 
place for a few minutes at first, and there is not one 
colt in fifty that will pull on his halter. 



The kind of Bit and how to accustom a Horse to it. 

You should use a large, smooth, snaffle bit, so as not 
to hurt his mouth, with a bar to each side, to prevent 
the bit from pulling through either way. This you 
should attach to the head-stall of your bridle, and put it 
on your colt without any reins to it, and let him run loose 
in a large stable or shed some time, until he becomes 
a little used to the bit, and will bear it without trying 
to get it out of his mouth. It would be well, if con- 
venient, to repeat this several times before you do any- 
thing more with the colt; as soon as he will bear the 
bit, attach a single rein to it, without any martingal. 
You should also have a halter on your colt, or a bridle 
made after the fashion of a halter, with a strap to it, 
so that you can hold or lead him without pulling on 
the bit much. He is now ready for the saddle. 

How to saddle a Colt. 

Any one man, who has this theory, can put a saddle 
on the wildest colt that ever grew, without any help, 
and without scaring him. The first thing will be to 
tie each stirrup strap into a loose knot, to make them 
short, and prevent the stirrups from flying about and 
hitting him. Then, double up the skirts and take the 
saddle under your right arm, so as not to frighten him 
with it as you approach. When you get to him, rub 
him gently a few times with your hand, and then raise 



54 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

the saddle very slowly, until he can see it, and smell 
and feel it with his nose. Then let the skirts loose, 
and rub it very gently against his neck the way the 
hair lays, letting him hear the rattle of the skirts as 
he feels them against him; each time getting a little 
further backward, and finally slip it over his shoulders 
on his back. Shake it a little with your hand, and 
in less than five minutes you can rattle it about over 
his back as much as you please, and pull it off and 
throw it on again, without his paying much attention 
to it. 

As soon as you have accustomed him to the saddle, 
fasten the girth. Be careful how you do this. It often 
frightens a colt when he feels the girth binding him, 
and making the saddle fit tight on his back. You 
should bring up the girth very gently, and not draw 
it too tight at first; just enough to hold the saddle on. 
Move him a little, and then girth it as tight as you 
choose, and he will not mind it. 

You should see that the pad of your saddle is all 
right before you put it on, and that there is nothing 
to make it hurt him, or feel unpleasant to his back. 
It should not have any loose straps on the back part 
of it, to flap about and scare him. After you have 
saddled him in this way, take a switch in your right 
hand to tap him up with, and walk about in the stable 
a few times, with your right arm over the saddle, 
taking hold of the reins on each side of his neck, with 
your right and left hands, thus marching him about 
in the stable until you learn him the use of the bridle, 
and can turn him about in any direction, and stop him 
by a gentle pull of the rein. Always caress him, and 
loose the reins a little every time you stop him. 



OF MANAGING HOKSES. 55 

You should always be alone, and have your colt in 
some tight stable or shed the first time you ride him; 
the loft should be high, so that you can sit on his back 
without endangering your head. You can learn him 
more in two hours' time, in a stable of this kind, than 
you could in two weeks, in the common way of breaking 
colts, out in an open place. If you follow my course of 
treatment, you need not run any risk or have any trouble 
in riding the worst kind of a horse. You take him a 
step at a time, until you get up a mutual confidence and 
trust between yourself and horse. First learn him to 
lead and stand hitched, next acquaint him with the 
saddle and the use of the bit, and then all that remains, 
is to get on him without scaring him, and you can ride 
him as well as any horse. 

How to raoimt the Colt. 

First, gentle him well on both sides, about the saddle, 
and all over, until he will stand still without holding, 
and is not afraid to see you anywhere about him. 

As soon as you have him thus gentled, get a small 
block, about one foot or eighteen inches in hight, and 
set it down by the side of him, about where you want 
to stand to mount him : step up on this, raising your- 
self very gently ; horses notice every change of position 
very closely, and if you were to step up suddenly on 
the block, it would be very apt to scare him ; but by 
raising yourself gradually on it, he will see you without 
being frightened, in a position very near the same as 
while you are on his back. 

As soon as he will bear this without alarm, untie 
the stirrup strap next to you, and put your left foot 



56 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

into the stirrup, and stand square over it, holding your 
knee against the horse, and your toe out, so as to 
touch him under the shoulder with the toe of your 
boot. Place your right hand on the front of the saddle 
and on the opposite side of you, taking hold of a 
portion of the mane and the reins, as they hang loosely 
over his neck, with your left hand; then gradually bear 
your weight on the stirrup, and on your right hand, 
until the horse feels your whole weight on the saddle; 
repeat this several times, each time raising yourself a 
little higher from the block, until he will allow you to 
raise your leg over his croup, and place yourself in the 
saddle. 

There are three great advantages in having a block 
to mount from. First, a sudden change of position is 
very apt to frighten a young horse that has never been 
handled ; he will allow you to walk up to him and 
stand by his side without scaring at you, because you 
have gentled him to that position ; but if you get down 
on your hands and knees, and crawl toward him, he 
will be very much frightened, and, upon the same prin- 
ciple, he would frighten at your new position, if you 
had the power to hold yourself over his back without 
touching him. Then the first great advantage of the 
block is to gradually gentle him to that new position 
in which he will see you when you ride him. 

Secondly, by the process of leaning your weight in 
the stirrups, and on your hand, you can gradually 
accustom him to your weight, so as not to frighten 
him by having him feel it all at once. And, in the 
third place, the block elevates you so that you will 
not have to make a spring in order to get on to the 
horse's back, but from it you can gradually raise your- 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 57 

' self into the saddle. When you take these precautions, 
there is no horse so wild but what you can mount him 
without making him jump. I have tried it on the 
worst horses that could be found, and have never failed 
in any case. When mounting, your horse should always 
stand without being held. A horse is never well broke 
when he has to be held with a tight rein while mount- 
ing; and a colt is never so safe to mount, as when you 
see that assurance of confidence, and absence of fear, 
which causes him to stand without holding. 



How to ride a Colt. 

When you want him to start do not touch him on 
the side with your heel, or do anything to frighten him 
and- make him jump, but speak to him kindly, and 
if he does not start, pull him a little to the left until 
he starts, and then let him walk off slowly, with the 
reins loose. Walk him around in the stable a few 
times, until he gets used to the bit, and you can turn 
him about in every direction, and stop him as you please. 
It would be well to get on and off a good many times, 
until he gets perfectly used to it, before you take him 
out of the stable. 

After you have trained him in this way, which should 
not take you more than one or two hours, you can ride 
him anywhere you choose, without ever having him 
jump or make any effort to throw you. 

When you first take him out of the stable, be very 
gentle with him, as he will feel a little more at liberty 
to jump or run, and be a little easier frightened than 
he was while in the stable. But after handling him 
so much in the stable, he will be pretty well broke, 



58 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

and you will be able to manage him without trouble 
or danger. 

When you first mount him, take a little the shortest 
hold on the left rein, so that if anything frightens him 
you can prevent him jumping by pulling his head around 
to you. This operation of pulling a horse's head around 
against his side will prevent any horse from jumping 
ahead, rearing up, or running away. If he is stubborn 
and will not go, you can make him move by pulling his 
head around to one side, when whipping would have no 
effect. And turning him around a few times will make 
him dizzy, and then, by letting him have his head 
straight, and giving him a little touch with the whip, 
he will go along without any trouble. 

Never use martingals on a colt when you first ride 
him ; every movement of the hand should go right to 
the bit in the direction in which it is applied to the 
reins, without a martingal to change the direction of 
the force applied. You can guide the colt much better 
without them, and learn him the use of the bit in much 
less time. Besides, martingals would prevent you from 
pulling his head around if he should try to jump. 

After your colt has been rode until he is gentle and 
well accustomed to the bit, you may find it an advantage, 
if he carries his head too high, or his nose too far out, 
to put martingals on him. 

You should be careful not to ride your colt so far 
at first as to heat, worry, or tire him. Get off as soon 
as you see he is a little fatigued ; gentle him, and let 
him rest. This will make him kind to you, and prevent 
him from getting stubborn or mad. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 59 

The proper way to Bit a Colt. 

Farmers often put bitting harness on a colt the first 
thing they do to him, buckling up the bitting as tight 
as they can draw it, to make him carry his head high, 
and then turn him out in a lot to run a half day at a 
time. This is one of the worst punishments that they 
could inflict on the colt, and very injurious to a young 
horse that has been used to running in pasture with 
his head down. I have seen colts so injured in this 
way that they never got over it. 

A horse should be well accustomed to the bit before 
you put on the bitting harness, and when you first bit 
him you should only rein his head up to that point 
where he naturally holds it, let that be high or low; 
he will soon learn that he can not lower his head, and 
that raising it a little will loosen the bit in his mouth. 
This will give him the idea of raising his head to loosen 
the bit, and then you can draw the bitting a little tighter 
every time you put it on, and he will still raise his head 
to loosen it ; by this means you will gradually get his 
head and neck in the position you want him to carry it, 
and give him a nice and graceful carriage without hurting 
him, making him mad, or causing his mouth to get sore. 

If you put the bitting on very tight the first time, 
he can not raise his head enough to loosen it, but will 
bear on it all the time, and paw, sweat, and throw him- 
self. Many horses have been killed by falling backward 
with the bitting on ; their heads, being drawn up, strike 
the ground with the whole weight of the body. Horses 
that have their heads drawn up tightly should not have 
the bitting on more than fifteen or twenty minutes at 
a time. 



60 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

How to drive a Horse that is very wild and has 
any vicious habits. 

Take up one fore foot and bend his knee till Lis 
hoof is bottom upwards, and merely touching his body 
then slip a loop over his knee, and up until it comes 
above the pasture joint, to keep it up, being careful to 
draw the loop together between the hoof and pasture 
joint with a second strap of some kind, to prevent the 
loop from slipping down and coming off. This will 
leave the horse standing on three legs; you can now 
handle him as you wish, for it is impossible for him to 
kick in this position. There is something in this oper- 
ation of taking up one foot that conquers a horse 
quicker and better than anything else you can do to 
him. There is no process in the world equal to it to 
break a kicking horse, for several reasons. First, there 
is a principle of this kind in the nature of the horse ; 
that by conquering one member you conquer, to a great 
extent, the whole horse. 

You have, perhaps, seen men operate upon this prin- 
ciple by sewing a horse's ears together, to prevent him 
from kicking. I once saw a plan given in a newspaper 
to make a bad horse stand to be shod, which was to 
fasten down one ear. There were no reasons given 
why you should do so ; but I tried it several times, and 
thought it had a good effect — though I would not re- 
commend its use, especially stitching his ears together. 
The only benefit arising from this process is, by dis- 
arranging his ears we draw his attention to them, and 
he is not so apt to resist the shoeing. By tying up 
one foot we operate, on the same principle, to a much 
better effect. When you first fasten up a horse's foot, 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 61 

he will sometimes get very mad, and strike with his 
knee, and try every possible way to get it down; but 
he cannot do that, and will soon give it up. 

This will conquer him better than anything you could 
do, and without any possible danger of hurting himself, 
or you either, for you can tie up his foot and sit down 
and look at him until he gives up. When you find 
that he -is conquered, go to him, let down his foot, rub 
his leg with your hand, caress him, and let him rest a 
little, then put it up again. Repeat this a few times, 
always putting up the same foot, and he will soon learn 
to travel on three legs, so that you can drive him some 
distance. As soon as he gets a little used to this way 
of traveling, put on your harness and hitch him to a 
sulky. If he is the worst kicking horse that ever 
raised a foot, you need not be fearful of his doing any 
damage while he has one foot up, for he can not kick, 
neither can he run fast enough to do any harm. And 
if he is the wildest horse that ever had harness on, 
and has run away every time he has been hitched, you 
can now hitch him in a sulky and drive him as you 
please. And, if he wants to run, you can let him have 
the lines, and the whip too, with perfect safety, for he 
can not go but a slow gait on three legs, and will soon 
be tired and willing to stop ; only hold him enough to 
guide him in the right direction, and he will soon be 
tired and willing to stop at the word. Thus you will 
effectually cure him at once of any further notion of 
running off. Kicking horses have always been the 
dread of everybody ; you always hear men say, when 
they speak about a bad horse, " I do n't care what he 
does, so he don't kick." This new method is an effec- 
tual cure for this worst of all habits. There are plenty 



62 DR. NESS S NEW METHOD 

of ways by which you can hitch a kicking horse and 
force him to go, though he kicks all the time ; but this 
don't have any good effect toward breaking him, for 
we know that horses kick because they are afraid of 
what is behind them, and when they kick against it, 
and it hurts them, they will only kick the harder, and 
this will hurt them still more, and make them remember 
the scrape much longer, and make it more difficult to 
persuade them to have any confidence in anything 
dragging behind them ever after. 

But by this new method you can hitch them to a rat- 
tling sulky, plow, wagon, or anything else in its worst 
shape. They may be frightened at first, but can not 
kick or do anything to hurt themselves, and will soon 
find that you do not intend to hurt them, and then they 
will not care anything more about it. You can then 
let down the leg and drive along gently without any 
further trouble. By this new process a bad kicking 
horse can be learned to go gentle in harness in a few 
hours' time. 

Further remarks on Balking. 

Horses know nothing about balking, only as they are 
brought into it by improper management, and when a 
horse balks in harness it is generally from some mis- 
management, excitement, confusion, or from not know- 
ing how to pull, but seldom from any unwillingness to 
perform all that he understands. High-spirited, free- 
going horses are the most subject to balking, and only 
so because drivers do not properly understand how to 
manage this kind. A free horse in a team may be so 
anxious to go, that when he hears the word he will start 
with a jump, which will not move the load, but give him 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 63 

such a severe jerk on the shoulders that he will fly back 
and stop the other horse ; the teamster will continue 
his driving without any cessation, and by the time he 
has the slow horse started again he will find that the 
free horse has made another jump, and again flew back, 
and now he has them both baldly balked, and so con- 
fused that neither of them know what is the matter, or 
how to start the load. Next will come the slashing and 
cracking of the whip, and hallooing of the driver, till 
something is broken, or he is through with his course 
of treatment. But what a mistake the driver commits 
by whipping his horse for this act. Reason and com- 
mon sense should teach him that the horse was willing 
to go, but did not know how to start the load. And 
should he whip him for that? If so, he should whip 
him again for not knowing how to talk. A man that 
wants to act with any rationality or reason, should not 
fly into a passion, but should always think before he 
strikes. It takes a steady pressure against the collar 
to move a load, and you can not expect him to act with 
a steady, determined purpose, while you are whipping 
him. There is hardly one balking horse in five hundred 
that will pull true from whipping ; it is only adding fuel 
to the fire, and will make them more liable to balk 
another time. You always see horses that have been 
balked a few times turn their heads and look back, as 
soon as they are a little frustrated. This is because 
they have been whipped, and are afraid of what is behind 
them. This is an invariable rule with balked horses, 
just as much as it is for them to look around at their 
sides when they have the bots ; in either case, they are 
deserving of the same sympathy, and the same kind, 
rational treatment. 



64 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

When your horse balks, or is a little excited, if he 
wants to start quickly, or looks around and do n't want 
to go, there is something wrong, and needs kind treat- 
ment immediately. Caress him kindly, and if he does not 
understand at once what you want him to do, he will 
not be so much excited as to jump and break things, 
and do everything wrong through fear. As long as 
you are calm, and can keep down the excitement of the 
horse, there are ten chances to have him understand 
you, where there would not be one under harsh treat- 
ment, and then the little flare up would not carry with 
it any unfavorable recollection, and he would soon for- 
get all about it, and learn to pull true. Almost every 
wrong act the horse commits is from mismanagement, 
fear, or excitement ; one harsh word will so excite a ner- 
vous horse as to increase his pulse ten beats in a min- 
ute. 

When we remember that we are dealing with dumb 
brutes, and reflect how difficult it must be for them to 
understand our motions, signs, and language, we should 
never get out of patience with them because they do not 
understand us, or wonder at their doing things wrong. 
With all our intellect, if we were placed in the horse's 
situation, it would be difficult for us to understand the 
driving of some foreigner, of foreign ways and foreign 
language. We should always recollect that our ways 
and language are just as foreign and unknown to the 
horse as any language in the world is to us, and should 
try to practice what we could understand, were we the 
horse, endeavoring, by some simple means, to work on 
his understanding rather than on the different parts of 
his body. All balked horses can be started true and 
steady in a few minutes time ; they are all willing to 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 65 

pull as soon as they know how, and I never yet found 
a balked horse that I could not teach him to start his 
load in fifteen, and often less than three minutes time. 
Almost any team, when first balked, will start kindly, 
if you let them stand five or ten minutes, as though there 
was nothing wrong, and then speak to them with a steady 
voice, and turn them a little to the right or left, so as 
to get them both in motion before they feel the pinch 
of the load. But if you want to start a team that you 
are not driving yourself, that has been balked, fooled, 
and whipped for some time, go to them and hang the 
lines on their names, or fasten them to the wagon, so 
that they will be perfectly loose ; make the driver and 
spectators (if there are any) stand off some distance to 
one side, so as not to attract the attention of the horses ; 
unloose their check-reins, so that they can get their 
heads down, if they choose ; let them stand a few min- 
utes in this condition, until you can see that they are a 
little composed. While they are standing you should 
be about their heads, gentling them ; it will make them 
a little more kind, and the spectators will think that you 
are doing something that they do not understand, and 
will not learn the secret. When you have them ready 
to start, stand before them, and as you seldom have but 
one balky horse in a team, get as near in front of him 
as you can, and if he is too fast for the other horse, let 
his nose come against your breast ; this will keep him 
steady, for he will go slow rather than run on you ; 
turn them gently to the right, without letting them 
pull on the traces, as far as the tongue will let them go ; 
stop them with a kind word, gentle them a little, and 
then turn them back to the left, by the same process. 
You will have them under your control by this time, 



66 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

and as you turn them again to the right, steady them 
in the collar, and you can take them where you please. 

There is a quicker process that will generally start 
a balky horse, but not so sure. Stand him a little 
ahead, so that his shoulders will be against the collar, 
and then take up one of his fore feet in your hand, and 
let the driver start them, and when the weight comes 
against his shoulders, he will try to step ; then let him 
have his foot, and he will go right along. If you want 
to break a horse from balking that has long been in 
that habit, you ought to set apart a half day for that 
purpose. Put him by the side of some steady horse ; 
have check lines on them ; tie up all the traces and 
straps, so that there will be nothing to excite them ; do 
not rein them up, but let them have their heads loose. 
Walk them about together for some time as slowly and 
lazily as possible ; stop often, and go up to your balky 
horse and gentle him. Do not take any w T hip about 
him, or do anything to excite him, but keep him just as 
quiet as you can. He will soon learn to start off at the 
word, and stop whenever you tell him. 

As soon as he performs right, hitch him in an empty 
wagon ; have it stand in a favorable position for starting. 
It would be well to shorten the stay chain behind the 
steady horse, so that if it is necessary he can take the 
weight of the wagon the first time you start them. Do 
not drive but a few rods at first ; watch your balky 
horse closely, and if you see that he is getting excited, 
stop him before he stops of his own accord, caress him 
a little, and start again. As soon as they go well, drive 
them over a small hill a few times, and then over a 
large one, occasionally adding a little load. This pro- 
cess will make any horse true to pull. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 67 



To break a Horse to Harness. 

Take him in a tight stable, as you did to ride him; 
take the harness and go through the same process that 
you did with the saddle, until you get him familiar with 
them, so that you can put them on him and rattle them 
about without his caring for them. As soon as he will 
bear this, put on the lines, caress him as you draw them 
over him, and drive him about in the stable till he will 
bear them over his hips. The lines are a great aggra- 
vation to some colts, and often frighten them as much 
as if you were to raise a whip over them. As soon as 
he is familiar with the harness and line, take him out 
and put him by the side of a gentle horse, and go 
through the same process that you did with the balking 
horse. Always use a bridle without blinds when you 
are breaking a horse to harness. 



How to Mtcfi a Horse in a Sulky. 

Lead him to and around it ; let him look at it, touch 
it with his nose, and stand by it till he does not care 
for it ; then pull the shafts a little to the left, and stand 
by your horse in front of the off-wheel. Let some one 
stand on the right side of the horse, and hold him by 
the bit, while you stand on the left side, facing the 
sulky. This will keep him straight. Run your left 
hand back and let it rest on his hip, and lay hold of the 
shafts with your right hand, bringing them up very 
gently to the left hand, which still remains stationary. 
Do not let anything but your arm touch his back, and 
as soon as you have the shafts square over him, let the 
person on the opposite side take hold of one of them 



68 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

and lower them very gently on the shaft bearers. Be 
very slow and deliberate about hitching ; the longer time 
you take, the better, as a general thing. When you 
have the shafts placed, shake them slightly, so that he 
will feel them against each side. As soon as he will 
bear them without scaring, fasten your braces, etc., and 
start him along very slowly. Let one man lead the 
horse to keep him gentle, while the other gradually 
works back with the lines, till he can get behind and 
drive him. After you have driven him in this way a 
short distance, you can get into the sulky, and all will 
go right. It is very important to have your horse go 
gently when you first hitch him. After you have 
walked him awhile, there is not half so much danger 
of his scaring. Men do very wrong to jump up behind 
a horse to drive him as soon as they have him hitched. 
There are too many things for him to comprehend all 
at once. The shafts, the lines, the harness, and the 
rattling of the sulky, all tend to scare him, and he 
must be made familiar with them by degrees. If your 
horse is very wild, I would advise you to put up one 
foot the first time you drive him. 



How to make a Horse stand without holding. 

After you have him well broken to follow you, stand 
him in the center of the stable — begin at his head to 
caress him, gradually working backward. If he moves, 
give him a cut with the whip, and put him back in the 
same spot from which he started. If he stands, caress 
him as before, and continue gentling him in this way 
until you can get round him without making him move. 
Keep walking around him, increasing your pace, and 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 69 

only touch him occasionally. Enlarge your circle as 
you walk around, and if he then moves, give him ano- 
ther cut with the whip, and put him back to his place. 
If he stands, go to him frequently and caress him, and 
then walk around him again. Do not keep him in one 
position too long at a time, but make him come to you 
occasionally, and follow you round in the stable. Then 
stand him in another place, and proceed as before. 
You should not train your horse more than half an 
hour at a time. 



PART II. 



THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE HORSE. 



Breeding Horses. 

Important and necessary as it is to secure the best 
possible condition, make, and character of both sire and 
dam, it is not sufficient to insure complete success. In 
a world where briars, weeds, and poisonous grasses grow 
spontaneously, and the fruits and grains which support 
life are grown only by laborious cultivation, eternal 
vigilance is the price of good life and ample sustenance, 
The first conditions being settled, leave no recess for 
slumbering. The mare needs constant care. She must 
be kept in good health and condition, must be fed with 
care, both as regards quantity and quality; must be 
sheltered from storms and bad weather, must have 
exercise and room for recreation, avoiding sudden, 
violent exertion ; must be kept free from the noxious 
gases of foul and ill-ventilated stables ; should be 
combed and rubbed frequently, and, in short, every- 
thing should be done which tends to cultivate and sus- 
tain that condition of life, strength, action, and spirit 
to be desired in the offspring. The forming animal 
derives no elements of its being from other source than 



72 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

the mother's system. During gestation, her vital fluid 
fills the foetal veins, and if, from any depressing or 
exhausting influence, that blood is deficient in vitality, 
it can not supply that life and energy, that perfection 
of development to the new being, which a better con- 
dition would impart. Every influence affecting injuri- 
ously the mother's health vitiates the life fountain of 
the new being; hence the necessity and value of the 
utmost care and attention during the period of ges- 
tation. 

All the attention requisite before foaling, is equally 
important afterward. In the one case, the foetus 
derives its nourishment direct from the blood of the 
mother; in the next, the foal obtains its sustenance 
from the milk made from that blood, and it is not less 
important that the blood be healthy and pure to insure 
the proper quantity and quality of nutriment to the 
young animal. For this reason the mare should not 
be put to hard work soon after foaling, nor, indeed, to 
severe and constant toil during the time of suckling 
her young. She should be well fed, and allowed good 
pasturage, affording both food and room for exercise. 
An idea that half- starved and stunted colts make tough, 
hardy horses, has long existed among a portion of the 
farming community, and so opposed is it to all facts, 
so contrary to all the teachings of reason and philoso-. 
phy, so absurd in itself, that its very existence is 
astonishing. When every tissue of the organization 
is made up from the nutriment taken into the system, 
and from that only, as every one knows, it is not easy 
to conceive how those tissues should be better formed 
if only half supplied with forming materials ; yet such 
has been the idea. And, though a few good animals 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 73 

have been raised in this manner, it needs but a mo- 
ment's thought to decide that they must have been 
much better if well cared for, and fully fed. Observa- 
tion, it is thought, will convince any one that such 
horses are imperfectly developed, are more liable to 
the encroachments of disease, are wanting in action 
and spirit, and do not exhibit that symmetry and beauty 
of form characteristic of well-fed animals. 

Youatt, who has written much and scientifically 
upon the economy of the horse, says : 

u The breeder may depend upon it, that nothing is 
gained by starving the mother and stinting the foal at 
this time. It is the most important period of the life 
of the horse ; and if, from false economy, his growth 
is arrested, his puny form and want of endurance will 
ever afterward testify to the error that has been com- 
mitted." 

There is no principle of greater importance than the 
liberal feeding of the foal during the time of his growth, 
and particularly at the time of weaning. Bruised oats 
and bran, or other nutritious and easily digestible 
articles, should form a part of his daily food ; and the 
farmer may be assured that the money is well invested 
which is expended on the liberal nourishment of the 
growing colt. With liberal range, he should have 
good shelter from storms and the inclemencies of the 
weather. Too often, however, after weaning, he is left 
to struggle on as he can, and becoming poor and dis- 
pirited, may be seen shivering beside a fence, rheum 
running from his eyes, his rough, shaggy, dirty coat a 
habitation for vermin, and himself a sad specimen of 
poverty and misery. ]Sfot a great number of such cases 
may be found at this time compared with the past; 
7 



74 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

but there is far too much carelessness and inattention 
to young animals of all kinds. The dictates of humane 
feeling, and the demand of the owner's purse, when 
understood, will remedy the evil; and reform, in these 
matters, as in most others, will come from a knowledge 
of, and reasons for the better way. The agricultural 
wealth not yet developed, both vegetable and animal, 
may some day astonish the dull eyes of the present old 
fogyish portion of young America. 



The Horse In the Stable. 

If one would have a good horse on the road, he must 
take care of him in the stable. To the man who is 
fond of that noble animal, the horse, the stable is no 
mean place which is the home of his faithful servant. 
A part of the secret of the differences among horses 
may be found in the different ways they are treated in 
the stable. 

This building need not have the embellishment of 
architecture, nor be made air-tight; but it should be 
comfortable — made to promote the comfort of its occu- 
pant. It should be well ventilated, by allowing a 
draught of fresh air constantly to pass through it, 
especially during the warmer months. Do not allow 
the air of the stable to be made offensive and unhealthy 
by the presence of ammonia escaping from the excre- 
ments. Keep the air in your stable as sweet as it is 
in your own house ; for such is necessary for the health 
of a horse. 

Plaster of Paris used freely about the stable, is quite 
desirable, both on the score of comfort and profit. It 
is cruel to foster a noble horse in a stable where the 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 75 

air is suffocating on account of noxious gases constantly 
generating and escaping for -want of a few quarts of 
some absorbent. 

The floor of the stall should not have much inclina- 
tion, only enough to allow the water to pass off. The 
more level the surface on which a horse stables, the 
better. 

It is said that " sprung knees" are occasioned partly 
by standing on steep floors in the stable. That such 
a floor is not pleasant for the horse, is clearly seen in 
the fact that when such a stall is wide, the horse will 
stand across his stall, in order to find the most level 
position. 

Let the horse feel as naturally as possible in the 
stable. He has been furnished with a long neck in 
order that he may reach down to feed, as he does in 
the pasture, and not that he may reach up and pull 
out a small lock of hay from the rack. Give a horse 
a manger to feed out of, so that he can enjoy eating, 
and do not oblige him to steal his fodder from a rack, 
with narrow spaces, as though he did not deserve his 
keeping. It is thought that a horse will waste his hay 
if he is fed from a manger; but he will not, if he has 
good hay, given in proper quantities. 



Air. 

The breathing of pure air is necessary to the exist- 
ence and the health of man and beast. It is compara- 
tively lately that this has been admitted, even in the 
management of our best stables. They have been 
close, and hot, and foul, instead of airy, cool, and whole- 
gome. 



76 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

The stable should be as large, compared with the 
number of horses that it is destined to contain, as cir- 
cumstances will allow. 

The stable with a loft over it should never be less 
than twelve feet high, and proper ventilation should be 
secured, either by tubes carried through the roof, or by 
gratings close to the ceiling. These gratings or open- 
ings should be enlarged or contracted by means of a 
covering or shutter, so that spring, summer, and autumn, 
the stable may possess nearly the same temperature 
with the open air, and in winter a temperature of not 
more than ten degrees above that of the external 
atmosphere. 

If the stable is close, the air will not only be hot, 
but foul. The breathing of every animal contaminates 
it; and, when in the course of the night, with every 
aperture stopped, it passes again and again through the 
lungs, the blood can not undergo its proper and healthy 
change; digestion will not be so perfectly performed, 
and all the functions of life are injured. Let the owner 
of a valuable horse think of his passing twenty or 
twenty-two out of the twenty-four hours in this debili- 
tating atmosphere ! Nature does wonders in enabling 
every animal to accommodate itself to the situation in 
which it is placed, and the horse that lives in the stable- 
oven suffers less from it than would scarcely be con- 
ceived possible ; but he does not, and can not, possess 
the power and the hardihood which he would acquire 
under other circumstances. 



OF MAXAGIXG H0ESE3. 77 

Grooming. 

Many persons go at this business as if they were rub- 
bing the skin of the rhinoceros, instead of that of one 
of the most sensitive of the animal race. A comb with 
part of the teeth gone should never be used ; and what- 
ever be the condition of the comb, it should be handled 
carefully about the legs and head of the animal. If a 
horse is not thus handled, he will soon become restive, 
and perhaps acquire the pernicious habits of kicking or 
biting. Bad habits once being formed, the horse is 
declared vicious, and is proscribed, when it is really the 
hostler who is entitled to the epithet and the proscrip- 
tion. 

If the horse is very tender, it is better to wash with 
warm water, and use only a soft brush. 

Much need not be said of this to the agriculturist, 
since custom, and apparently without ill effect, has 
allotted so little of the comb and brush to the farmer's 
horse. The animal that is worked all day, and turned 
out at night, requires little more to be done to him than 
to have the dirt brushed off his limbs. Regular groom- 
ing, by rendering his skin more sensible to the altera- 
tion of temperature, and the inclemency of the weather, 
would be prejudicial. The horse that is altogether 
turned out, needs no grooming. The dandruff, or 
scurf, which accumulates at the roots of the hair, is a 
provision of nature to defend him from the wind and 
the cold. 

It is to the stabled horse, highly fed, and little or 
irregularly worked, that grooming is of so much conse- 
quence. Good rubbing with the brush, or the curry- 
comb, open the pores of the skin, circulates the blood 



78 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

to tlie extremities of the body, produces free and heal- 
thy perspiration, and stands in the room of exercise. 
No horse will carry a fine coat without either unnatural 
heat or dressing. They both effect the same purpose ; 
they both increase the insensible perspiration ; but the 
first does it at the expense of health and strength, while 
the second, at the same time that it produces a glow 
on the skin, and a determination of blood to it, rouses 
all the energies of the frame. It would be well for the 
proprietor if he were to insist — and to see that his or- 
ders are really obeyed — that the fine coat in which he 
and his groom so much delight, is produced by honest 
rubbing and not by a heated stable and thick clothing, 
and most of all, not by stimulating or injurious spices. 
The horse should be regularly dressed every day, in 
addition to the grooming that is necessary after work. 



Light. 

This neglected branch of stable management is of far 
more consequence than is generally imagined ; and it is 
particularly neglected by those for whom these treatises 
are principally designed. The farmer's stable is fre- 
quently destitute of any glazed window, and has only a 
shutter, which is raised in warm weather, and closed 
when the weather becomes cold. When the horse is in 
the stable only during a few hours in the day, this is 
not of so much consequence, nor of so much, probably, 
with regard to horses of slow work ; but to carriage 
horses and hackneys, so far, at least, as the eyes are 
concerned, a dark stable is little less injurious than a 
foul and heated one. In order to illustrate this, refer- 
ence may be made to the unpleasant feeling, and the 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 79 

impossibility of seeing distinctly, when a man suddenly 
emerges from a dark place into the full blaze of day. 
The sensation of mingled pain and giddiness is not soon 
forgotten; and some minutes pass before the eye can 
accommodate itself to the increased light. If this were 
to happen every day, or several times in the day, the 
sight would be irreparably injured, or possibly, blind- 
ness would ensue. Can we wonder, then, that the horse, 
taken from a dark stable into a glare of light, feeling, 
probably, as we should under similar circumstances, 
and unable for a considerable time to see anything 
around him distinctly, or that the frequently repeated 
violent effect of sudden light should cause inflammation 
of the eye so intense as to terminate in blindness ? 
There is, indeed, no doubt that horses kept in dark 
stables are frequently notorious starters, and that abomi- 
nable habit has been properly traced to this cause. 

Exercise. 

The first rule we would lay down is, that every horse 
should have daily exercise. The animal that, with the 
usual stable feeding, stands idle for three or four days, 
as is the case in many establishments, must suffer. He 
is predisposed to fever, or to grease, or, most of all, dis- 
eases of the foot ; and if, after three or four days of 
inactivity, he is ridden far and fast, he is almost sure 
to have inflammation of the lungs or of the feet. 

A gentleman's or a tradesman' s horse suffers a great 
deal more from idleness than he does from work. A 
stable-fed horse should have two hours' exercise every 
day if he is to be kept free from disease. Nothing of 
extraordinary, or even of ordinary labor, can be effected 



80 DR. NESS'S HEW METHOD 

on the road or in the field, without sufficient and regu- 
lar exercise. It is this alone -which can give energy 
to the system, or develop the powers of any anijnal. 



Litter. 

No heap of fermenting dung should be suffered to 
remain during the day in the corner, or in any part of 
the stable. With regard to this, the directions of the 
master should be peremptory. 

The stable should be so contrived that the urine shall 
quickly run off, and the offensive and injurious vapor 
from the decomposing fluid and the litter will thus be 
materially lessened; but if this is effected by means of 
gutters and a descending floor, the descent must be 
barely sufficient to cause the fluid to escape, as, if the 
toes are kept higher than the heels, it will lead to lame- 
ness, and is also a frequent cause of contraction of the 
foot. Stalls of this kind certainly do best for mares; 
but for horses we much prefer those with a grating in 
the center, and a slight inclination of the floor on every 
side toward the middle. A short branch may commu- 
nicate with a large drain, by means of which the urine 
may be carried off to a reservoir outside the stable. 
Traps are now contrived, and may be procured at little 
expense, by means of which neither any offensive smell 
nor current of air can pass through the grating. 

Tood. 

There are few horses that do not habitually waste a 
portion of their hay; and, by some, the greater part i& 
pulled down and trampled under foot, in order first to 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 81 

cull the sweetest and best locks, and which could not 
be done while the hay was inclosed in the rack. The 
observation of this induced the adoption of manger- 
feeding, or of mixing a portion of chaff (i. e. f cut feed) 
with the grain and beans. By this means the animal 
is compelled to chew his food ; he can not, to any 
degree, waste the straw or hay ; the chaff is too hard 
and too sharp to be swallowed without sufficient masti- 
cation, and, while he is forced to grind that down, the 
oats and beans are ground with it, and yield more 
nourishment; the stomach is more slowly filled, and 
therefore acts better on its contents, and is not so likely 
to be overloaded ; and the increased quantity of saliva 
thrown out in the lengthened maceration of the food 
softens it, and makes it more fit for digestion. 

Chaff may be composed of equal quantities of clover 
or meadow hay and wheaten, oaten, or barley straw, 
cut into pieces of a quarter or half an inch in length, 
and mingled well together ; the allowance of oats or 
beans is afterward added, and mixed with the chaff. 

For the agricultural and cart horse, eight pounds of 
oats and two of beans should be added to every twenty 
pounds of chaff. Thirty-four or thirty-six pounds of 
the mixture will be sufficient for any moderate sized 
horse, with fair, or even hard work. The dray or 
wagon horse may require forty pounds. Hay in the 
rack at night is, in this case, supposed to be omitted 
altogether. The rack, however, may remain, as occa- 
sional^ useful for the sick horse, or to contain tares or 
other green feed. We would caution the farmer not to 
set apart too much damaged hay for the manufacture 
of the chaff. Much more injury is done by eating 
damaged hay or musty oats than is generally imagined. 



82 DK. NESS S NEW METHOD 

There will be sufficient saving in the diminished cost of 
the provender, by the introduction of the straw and the 
improved condition of the horse, without poisoning him 
with the refuse of the farm. For old horses, and for 
those with defective teeth, chaff is peculiarly useful, and 
for them the grain should be broken down as well as 
the fodder. 

While the mixture of chaff with the grain prevents 
it from being too rapidly devoured, and a portion of it 
swallowed whole, and therefore the stomach is not too 
loaded with that on which, as containing the most 
nutriment, its chief digestive power should be exerted, 
yet, on the whole, a great deal of time is gained by 
this mode of feeding, and more is left for rest. When 
a horse comes in wearied at the close of the day, it 
occupies, after he has eaten his grain, two or three 
hours to clear his rack. On the system of manger- 
feeding, the chaff being already cut into small pieces, 
and the beans and oats bruised, he is able fully to 
satisfy his appetite in an hour and a half. Two addi- 
tional hours are, therefore, devoted to rest. This is a 
circumstance deserving of much consideration even in 
the farmer's stable, and of immense consequence to the 
post-rider, the stage-coach proprietor, and the owner 
of every hard-worked horse. 

Manger food will be the usual support of the farmer's 
horse during the winter, and while at constant or 
occasional hard work ; but from the middle of April to 
the end of July, he may be fed with this mixture in the 
day and turned out at night, or he may remain out 
daring every rest day. A team in constant employ 
should not, however, be suffered to be out at night 
after the end of July. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 83 

The farmer should take care that the pasture is thick 
and good ; and that the distance from the yard is not 
too great, or the fields too large, otherwise a very con- 
siderable portion of time will be occupied in catching 
the horse in the morning. He will likewise have to 
take into consideration the sale he would have for his 
hay, and the necessity for sweet and untrodden pasture 
for his cattle. On the whole, however, turning out in 
this way, when circumstances will admit of it, will be 
found to be more beneficial for the horse, and cheaper 
than soiling in the yard, 

Few grooms make good gruel ; it is either not boiled 
long enough, or a sufficient quantity of oatmeal has not 
been used. The proportions should be, a pound of 
meal thrown into a gallon of water, and kept constantly 
stirred until it boils, and five minutes afterward. 

Barley is more nutritious than oats, containing nine 
hundred and twenty parts of nutritive matter in every 
thousand. There seems, however, to be something 
necessary beside a great proportion of nutritive matter 
in order to render any substance wholesome, strength- 
ening, or fattening; therefore it is that, in many horses 
that are hardly worked, and, indeed, in horses generally, 
barley does not agree with them so well as oats. They 
are occasionally subject to inflammatory complaints, 
and particularly to surfeit and mange. 

When barley is given, the quantity should not exceed 
a peck daily. It should always be bruised, and the 
chaff should consist of equal quantities of hay and 
barley-straw, and not cut too short. 

Wheat contains nine hundred and fifty-five parts of 
nutritive matter. Wheat contains a greater portion 
of gluten, or sticky, adhesive matter, than any other 



84 DR. NESS'S NEW METTIOD 

kind of grain. It is difficult of digestion, and apt to 
cake and form obstructions in the bowels. This will 
oftener be the case if the horse is suffered to drink 
much water soon after feeding upon wheat. But a 
horse that is fed on wheat should have very little hay. 
The proportion should not be more than one truss of 
hay to two of straw. 

Bran, or the ground husk of the wheat, used to be 
frequently given to benefit some sick horses, on account 
of the supposed advantage derived from its relaxing the 
bowels. There is no doubt that it does operate gently 
on the intestinal canal, and assists in quickening the 
passage of its contents, when it is occasionally given ; 
but it must not be a constant, or even frequent food. 
Bran may, however, be useful as an occasional aperient 
in the form of a mash, but never should become a 
regular article of food. 

Beans form .a striking illustration of the principle 
that the nourishing or strengthening effects of the dif- 
ferent articles of food depend more on some peculiar 
property which they possess, or some combination 
which they form, than on the actual quantity of nutri- 
tive matter. Beans contain but five hundred and 
seventy parts of nutritive matter, yet they add materi- 
ally to the vigor of a horse. There are many horses 
that will not stand hard work without beans being 
mingled with their food, and these horses whose ten- 
dency to purge, it may be necessary to restrain, by the 
astringency of the bean. There is no traveler who is 
not aware of the difference in the spirit and continuance 
of his horse whether he allows or denies him beans on 
his journey. They afford not merely a temporary 
stimulus, but they may be daily used without losing 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 85 

their power, or producing exhaustion. They are indis- 
pensable to the hard-worked coach horse. 

The straw of the bean is nutritive and wholesome, 
and is usually given to the horses. Its nutritive 
properties are supposed to be little inferior to those of 
oats. The small and plump bean is generally the best. 

Peas appear to be, in a slight degree, more nourish- 
ing than beans, and not so heating. They contain five 
hundred and seventy-four parts of nutritive matter. 
For horses of slow work they may be used ; but the 
quantity of chaff should be increased and a few oats 
added. 

Linseed is sometimes given to sick horses — raw, 
ground, and boiled. It is supposed to be useful in 
cases of ca+arrh. 

Hay is most in perfection when it is about a twelve- 
month old. The horse would prefer it earlier, but it 
is neither so wholesome nor so nutritive, and often has 
a purgative quality. When it is about a year old, it 
retains, or should retain, somewhat of its green color, 
its agreeable smell, and its pleasant taste. It has un- 
dergone the slow process of fermentation, by which 
the sugar which it contains is developed, and its nutri- 
tive quality is fully exercised. Old hay becomes dry 
and tasteless, innutritive and unwholesome. 

It is a good practice to sprinkle the hay with water 
in which salt has been dissolved. It is evidently more 
palatable to the animal, who will leave the best unsalted 
hay for that of an inferior quality that has been moist- 
ened with brine : and there can be no doubt that the 
salt very materially assists the progress of digestion. 
The preferable way of salting hay is to sprinkle it over 
the different layers as the rick is formed. 



8b DR. NESS S NEW METHOD 

Of the value of tares, as forming a portion of the 
late spring and summer food of the stabled and agri- 
cultural horse, there can be no doubt. They are cut 
after the pods are formed, but a considerable time 
before the seeds are ripe. They supply a larger 
quantity of food for a limited time than almost any 
other forage crop. When surfeit-lumps appear on the 
skin, and the horse begins to rub himself against the 
divisions of the stall, and the legs swell, and the heels 
threaten to crack, a few tares, cut up with the chaff, or 
given instead of a portion of the hay, will afford con- 
siderable relief. Ten or twelve pounds may be allowed 
daily, and half that weight of hay subtracted. 

Rye grass affords a valuable article of food, but it is 
inferior to the tare. It is not so nutritive. It is apt 
to scour, and occasionally, and late in the spring, it is 
injurious to the horse. 

Clover is inferior to the tare and the rye grass, but 
nevertheless, is useful when they can not be obtained. 
Clover hay is, perhaps, preferable to meadow hay for 
chaff. It will sometimes tempt the sick horse, and may 
be given with advantage to those of slow and heavy 
work. 

Carrots ; this root is held in much esteem. There 
is none better, nor perhaps so good. When first given 
it is slightly diuretic and laxative; but as the horse 
becomes accustomed to it, these effects cease to be pro- 
duced. They also improve the state of the skin. They 
form a good substitute for grass, and an excellent altera- 
tive for horses out of condition. 

Potatoes have been given, and with advantage, in 
their raw state, sliced with the chaff; but, where it has 
been convenient to boil or steam them, the benefit has 



OE MANAGING HORSES. 87 

been far more evident. Purging has then rarely en- 
sued. Half a dozen horses would soon repay the 
expense of a steaming boiler in the saving of pro- 
vender, without taking into the account their improved 
condition and capability for work. 

The times of feeding should be as equally divided as 
convenience will permit ; and when it is likely that the 
horse will be kept longer than usual from home, the 
nose-bag should invariably be taken. The small stomach 
of the horse is emptied in a few hours, and if he is 
suffered to remain hungry much beyond his accustomed 
time, he will afterward devour his food so voraciously 
as to distend the stomach, and endanger an attack of 
staggers. 

Water. — This is a part of stable management little 
regarded by the farmer. There is nothing in which 
the clifferent effect of hard and soft water is so evident, 
as in the stomach and digestive organs of the horse. 
Hard water, drawn fresh from the well, will assuredly 
make the coat of a horse unaccustomed to it stare, and 
it will not unfrecjuently gripe and otherwise injure him. 
He is injured, however, not so much by the hardness 
of the well-water as by its coldness — particularly by its 
coldness in summer, and when it is many degrees below 
the temperature of the atmosphere. The water in the 
brook and the pond being warmed by long exposure to 
the air, as well as having become soft, the horse drinks 
freely of it without danger. 

There is a prejudice in the minds of many persons 
against the horse being fully supplied with water. 
They think that it injures his wind, and disables him 
for quick and hard work. If he is galloped, as he too 
often is, immediately after drinking, his wind may be 



88 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

too often irreparably injured; but if he were oftener 
suffered to satiate his thirst at the intervals of rest, he 
would be happier and better. It is a fact unsuspected 
by those who have not carefully observed the horse, 
that if he has frequent access to water, he will not 
drink so much in the course of the day as another 
will do, who, to cool his parched mouth, swallows as 
fast as he can, and knows not when to stop. 

On a journey, a horse should be liberally supplied 
with water. When he is a little cooled, two or three 
quarts may be given to him, and after that his feed. 
Before he has finished his corn, two or three quarts 
more may be offered. He will take no harm if this is 
repeated three or four times during a long and hot day. 



The Sense of SinelL 

The sense of smell is so much used by the horse, 
that many have supposed he could be charmed by cer- 
tain compounds of peculiar odor. Fancher and others 
used horse-chestnuts, origanum, rhodium, and various 
Oriental mixtures concocted by quacks, for the purpose 
of charming the horse. 

No doubt anything that is pleasing to the sense of 
smell in the horse, will please him; and so far as you 
gratify this sense by the application of pleasing aro- 
matics, so far you gain the confidence and favor of the 
horse, just as you would do by giving him a good din- 
ner; but that there is anything about this sense in the 
horse that can be appealed to or made available by any 
unnatural or unphilosophical means, is as great a hum- 
bug as the celebrated "love powders" made into loz- 
enges, which green ones are induced to purchase for 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 89 

the purpose of making some favorite lass love them 
against her will. Dismiss all such nonsense at once, 
and act upon the hypothesis that there is true philoso- 
phy in the mode of accomplishing anything. 

The horse uses his nose, because he has not hands, 
as we have, to feel of objects; just as the elephant 
uses his trunk. 

But this continual use of the nose in the horse is not 
to be overlooked or neglected. Since it is his mode of 
detecting the harmlessness or hurtfulness of any object, 
you must always submit everything to this test. If you 
know it is a mere whim in your horse, and a very unsuc- 
cessful way of detecting a steel trap from a coffee-mill, 
still it is his way, and you should always satisfy him 
by letting him smell of every object he desires to, 
except a steel trap or a pot of snuff. 

Once his sense of smell tells him that a handkerchief, 
a halter, a stirrup, a bed-blanket, or anything else that 
attracts his notice and excites his fears, will not hurt 
him, he will then go to it, or allow you to put it on 
him. There need be no supei'siitious notions enter- 
tained in regard to it — it is enough if such results are 
produced by natural and philosophical principles. 



Management of the Feet. 

This is the only division of stable mangement that 
remains to be considered, and one sadly neglected by 
the carter and groom. The feet should be carefully ex- 
amined every morning, for the shoes may be loose, and 
the horse would have been stopped in the middle of his 
work ; or the clenchers may be raised, and endanger the 
wounding of his legs ; for the shoe may begin to press 
8 



90 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

upon the sole or the heel, and bruises of the sole, or 
corn, may be the result ; and, the horse having stood 
so long in the stable, every little increase of heat in the 
foot, or lameness, will be more readily detected, and 
serious disease may often be prevented. 

When the horse comes in at night, and after the har- 
ness has been taken off and stowed away, the heels 
should be well brushed out. Hand-rubbing will be pre- 
ferable to washing, especially in the agricultural horse, 
whose heels, covered with long hair, can scarcely be 
dried again. If the dirt is suffered to accumulate in 
that long hair, the heels will become sore, and grease 
will follow; and if the heels are washed, and particu- 
larly during the winter, grease will result from the cold- 
ness occasioned by the slow evaporation of the moisture. 
The feet should be stopped — even the feet of the far- 
mer's horse, if he remains in the stable. Very little 
clay should be used in the stopping, for it will get hard 
and press upon the sole. Cow-dung is the best stop- 
ping to preserve the feet cool and elastic ; but before 
the stopping is applied, the picker should be run around 
the whole of the foot, between the shoe and the sole, 
in order to detect any stone that may have insinuated 
itself there, or a wound on any other part of the sole. 
For the hackney and hunter, stopping is indispensable. 
After several days' hard work it will afford very great 
relief to take the shoes off, having put plenty of litter 
under the horse, or to turn him, if possible, into a loose 
box; and the shoes of every horse, whether hardly 
worked or not, should be removed or changed once in 
every three weeks. 



OF MANAGING HOUSES. 91 

Points of a good Horse. 

He should be about fifteen and a half hands high ; the 
head light, and clean made ; wide between the. nostrils, 
and the nostrils themselves large, transparent, and open ; 
broad in the forehead, eyes prominent, clear and spark- 
ling ; ears small, neatly set on ; neck rather short, and 
well up ; large arm or shoulder, well thrown back, and 
high ; withers arched and high ; legs fine, flat, thin, and 
small boned ; body round and rather light, though suffi- 
ciently large to afford substance when it is needful ; 
chest, affording play for the lungs ; back short, the hind 
quarter set on rather obliquely. Any one possessing 
a horse of this make, and weighing eleven or twelve 
hundred pounds, may rest assured he is a horse of all 
work, and a bargain well worth getting hold of. 

The Age of Horses after the Ninth year. 

In relation to a new way of telling a horse's age, the 
Southern Planter says : " A few days ago we met a 
gentleman from Alabama, who gave us a piece of in- 
formation in regard to ascertaining the age of a horse, 
after he or she has passed the ninth year, which was 
new to us, and will be, we are sure, to most of our 
readers. It is this : After the horse is nine years old, 
a wrinkle comes on the eyelid at the upper corner of 
the lower lid, and every year thereafter, he has one 
well-defined wrinkle for every year over nine. If, for 
instance, the horse has three wrinkles, he is twelve ; if 
four, he is thirteen. Add the number of wrinkles to 
nine, and you will always get it. So says the gentle- 
man; and he is confident it will never fail. A good 



92 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD. 

many people have horses over nine; it is easily tried. 
If true, the horse dentist must give up his trade." 



The Age of Horses by the Teeth. 

A horse has six teeth above and six below in the 
fore mouth, which are called the cutting teeth. At two 
and a half years old it changes, two on top and two on 
the bottom, which are called the nippers ; at three and 
a half years old, it changes two others called the sepa- 
rates ; at four and a half, it changes the rook teeth ; and 
at five years old he has a full mouth, when the tusks, 
or bridle-fangs, rise ; at six years old the rook teeth are 
a little hollow, and at seven, there is a black mark, like 
the end of a ripe bean ; at eight or nine the teeth wear 
smooth on the end again. 




PART III. 



DISEASES AND THEIR CURE. 



To Mix and Give a Ball. 

A ball should never weigh more than an ounce and 
a half; it should be an inch in diameter, and two to 
three inches long. Lard is the best to mix your med- 
icine in. Inclose in stout, soft paper. Back the horse 
in a stall, talk to him in a kindly tone, treat him gently ; 
have the ball in the right hand, with the left gently 
draw out the tongue and hold it on the off-side of the 
mouth, pressing the fingers against the side of the 
lower jaw. Now, with the right hand pass the ball 
down the throat, not losing your hold of it, nor letting 
it touch the tongue or sides of the mouth until it 
reaches the palate ; then give it a toss, instantly with- 
drawing the hand, and give the horse a slight tap under 
the chin, and down it will go. 

Glanders. 

When you think your horse has this disease, sepa- 
rate him from all other horses until you are sure. The 
best cure I know of is to kill the horse and burn the 

(93) 



94 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

stable ; or, at least, it might save others from taking 
the disease. 

There should be much care taken to prevent this 
disease, as I have known men to take and die with it. 



Diseases of the Teeth. 

Of the diseases of the teeth in the horse, we know 
but little. Carious or hollow teeth are occasionally, but 
not often, seen ; but the edges of the grinders, from 
the wearing off of the enamel, or the irregular growth 
of the teeth, become rough, and wound the inside of 
the cheek. It is then necessary to adopt a summary, 
but effectual mode of cure ; namely, to rasp them 
smooth. Many bad ulcers have been produced in the 
mouth by neglect of this. 

The teeth sometimes grow irregularly in length. 
They should be reduced to the level of the others with 
a saw, and occasionally looked to, because the difficulty 
will return. Decayed teeth should be removed, to pre- 
vent injury to the other teeth and to the jaw. 

Fever, cough, catarrhal affections generally, disease 
of the eyes, cutaneous affections, diarrhea, loss of ap- 
petite, and general derangement, will frequently be 
traced by the careful observer to irritation from teeth- 
ing in the colt. 

It is a rule scarcely admitting of the slightest devia- 
tion, that, when young horses are laboring under any 
febrile affection, the mouth should be examined, and, 
if the tushes are prominent, and pushing against the 
gums, a cut in the form of a cross should be made 
upon them. Relief will often be immediate. 



OF MANAGING HOESES. 95 

Inflammation of the Eye. 

Diseases of the eye in horses and mules, in this 
country, are very numerous. Names to this are like 
branches to a tree, almost from one common cause : 
cold, exposure, sweat, and dust. The best remedy I 
know of is, to take four ounces of golden seal, (hydras- 
tine,) pour about six quarts of boiling water to it; 
when cool strain, and add four ounces of sulphurate 
of zinc, and one pint of laudanum; bathe the eye in 
the above wash often, getting as much as possible in 
the eye. If inflammation is very high, pack the head 
with sponges wet with cold water. Re-wet often. 

The above I have tried for many years, on both man 
and beast, with great satisfaction and success. 

Lung Fever. 

This disease is but very little understood, or rather, 
not understood at all; the common way of treating it 
is to doctor the effect instead of removing the cause, 
which is cold; costiveness, inflammation, and fever 
being the effect. First give a ball, as follows : 



Bay b err j, 


. one ounce. 


Cayenne, 


. half ounce. 


Ginger, . 


. one ounce. 


Aloes, . 


. one ounce. 



The above is sufficient for two doses; repeat every 
four hours. Always give your horse warm water, with 
slippery elm bark, pulverized, and a little sweet spirits 
nitre in it, to drink. Water with the above often ; keep 
your horse well wrapped in warm blankets; bear in 



96 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

mind to give injections often; use all the above articles 
steeped strong and sweetened well with molasses. 

N. B. — Always guard against costiveness, in both 
man and beast; wrap the legs in poultices made of 
mustard and rye meal; change often, always washing 
with Castile soapsuds. 

Distemper, liow Cured. 

Use the balls as in lung fever ; also smoke the head 
and nostrils with tar and cotton. 

Condition Powders. 

One ounce of preventive being worth a pound of 
cure, I will give you a recipe for keeping your horse 
in good health ; also, it may be used in slight cases of 
disease : 

Antimony, . . . half pound. 

Sulphur, .... half pound. 

Resin, .... half pound. 

Copperas. . . . quarter pound. 

Aniseed, .... half pound. 

Saltpetre, . . . quarter pound. 

Give a table-spoonful in his feed every third day. 

To prevent the mane and tail from falling off, also 
to make them grow long and heavy : 

Milk of sulphur, . . two ounces. 
Sugar of lead, . . one ounce. 
Rose water, . . . two quarts. 
Bathe night and morning. 

Heaves. 

This malady is thought by many to be incurable ; 
the reason why is, they do not know the cause. Heaves 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 97 

are caused by over-driving, taking cold, and inflamma- 
tion, and dryness on the glands follows ; not, as many 
suppose, a defect in the lungs. To cure, you should 
bathe and rub the part affected in some good liniment; 
also give the following powder: 

J>lack pepper, . . one pound. 

Pleurisy root, - . three ounces. 

Aniseed, . . . three ounces. 

Black antimony, . three ounces. 

Cubebs, . . . three ounces. 

Golden seal, . . three ounces. 

Pulverize and mix well together; give a table-spoonful in chop 
every morning; also sprinkle his hay with lime-water. 

LIXIMENT FOR THE HEAVES. 

Alchohol, . . . one pint 
Spirits ammonia, . two ounces. 

Camphor, . , . half ounce. 
Gum myrrh, . . half ounce. 
After bathing with the above, grease the parts with olive oil. 



String Halt. 

This complaint is thought by some to run in the 
blood; by others to be a sudden contraction of the 
muscle, caused by a strain. I never knew a lazy, dull, 
sluggish horse or colt to have the string halt. I have 
known colts to bring it on by rearing, springing, slip- 
ping, or falling. Horses sometimes have it from turn- 
ing corners suddenly, or from a desperate effort to start 
quick under the whip or spur. It does not injure a 
horse so much to be driven fast, after once started, as 
it does to be compelled to start quick, particularly if 
he is drawing a load. To cure, use liniment for strains 
and sprains, or liniment for heaves. 



98 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

Caution. 

Never start your horse suddenly, or by the use of 
the whip or spur. It not only injures the horse, but 
makes him restless and uneasy when you are getting 
upon his back, or into the carriage; it may endanger 
the lives of others, if not your own. 

Poll Evil. 

From the horse rubbing and sometimes striking his 
poll against the lower part of the manger, or hanging 
back in the stall and bruising the part with the halter, 
or from the frequent and painful stretching of the liga- 
ments and muscles, by unnecessarily tight reining, and, 
occasionally, from a violent blow on the poll, inflamma- 
tion ensues, and a swelling appears, hot, tender, and 
painful. 

The best way to cure it is to take a small strap of 
leather, soak it in spirits of turpentine ; take your needle 
and insert it; the needle should enter at the top of the 
tumor, penetrate through its bottom, and bring it out at 
the side of the neck, a little below the abscess. Wash 
often in warm water and castile soap, to keep clean, and 
prevent the hair from coming off. 

Strangles. 

This is a disease principally incident to young horses. 
It is preceded by a cough, and can not, at first, be dis- 
tinguished from common cough ; however, it soon 
commences with a discharge from the nostrils, of a 
yellowish color, mixed with pus, and generally without 
smell. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 99 

Mix a ball of saltpetre, . t . one drachm. 

Black antimony, one drachm. 

Sulphur, one di-achm. 

Honey, one ounce. 

To be given every other day. Food light ; keep warm and dry. 



Bots 

Are caused by the egg of the gad-fly being licked 
from the skin of the horse, and thus conveyed to the 
stomach, where they are hatched, cling to the stomach, 
and are, finally, evacuated. 

Some writers contend they are incurable, while others 
recommend fresh blood, sweetened milk, or anything 
that will nauseate slightly. A writer in the Eastern 
Agriculturist recommends giving a few sheaves of bar- 
ley. 

I use one pint of molasses and one pint of sweet 
milk, with the addition of half an ounce of alum, and 
the same bulk of charcoal, pulverized, well shook to- 
gether ; pour it down the neck of the horse ; as soon as 
you think the bots have filled themselves, follow with 
one half pint of sweet spirits nitre, and the same quan- 
tity of linseed oil, which will soon pass them off; then 
give a ball of mustard-seed pulverized. 



Tetanus or Lock-Jaw. 

The horse, for a day or two, does not appear to be 
quite well ; he does not feed as usual ; he partly chews 
his food, and drops it; and he gulps his water. The 
ears are erect, pointed forward, and immovable ; if the 
horse is spoken too, or threatened to be struck, they 



100 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

change not their position. The treatment of tetanus 
is simple. Take 

Opium, . . .half draohin. 

Copperas, . . .half drachm. 
Aloes .... four drachms. 
Give, in the form of a ball, for three successive evenings. 



Mange 

Is a pimpled or vesicular eruption. After a while the 
vesicles break, or the cuticle and the hair fall off, and 
there is, as in obstinate surfeit, a bare spot covered 
with scurf — some fluid oozing from the skin beneath, 
and this changing to a scab, which likewise soon peels 
off, and leaves a wider spot. This process is attended 
with considerable itching and tenderness, and thicken- 
ing of the skin, which soon becomes more or less fold- 
ed, or puckered. The mange generally first appears 
on the neck, at the root of the mane, and its existence 
may be suspected even before the blotches appear, and 
when there is only considerable itchiness of the part, 
by the ease with which the short hair at the root of 
the mane is plucked out. From the neck it spreads 
upward to the head, or downward to the withers and 
back, and occasionally extends over the whole carcass 
of the horse. 

One cause of it is neglected or inveterate surfeit. 
Several instances are on record in which poverty of 
condition, and general neglect of cleanliness, preceded 
or produced the most violent mange. The most com- 
mon cause is contagion. Amid the whole list of dis- 
eases to which the horse is exposed, there is not one 
more highly contagious than mange. If it once gets 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 101 

into a stable it spreads through it; for the slightest 
contact seems sufficient for the communication of this 
noisome complaint. 

If the same brush and curry-comb is used on all the 
horses, the propagation of mange is assured ; and 
horses feeding in the same pasture with a mangy one 
rarely escape, from the propensity they have to nibble 
one another. 

The propriety of bleeding, in cases of mange, de- 
pends on the condition of the patient. If mange is 
the result of poverty, and the animal is much debili- 
tated, bleeding will increase the evil, and will probably 
deprive the constitution of the power of rallying. 
Physic, however, is indispensable in every case. But 
mange in the horse resembles itch in the human being; 
medicine alone will never effect a cure. There must 
be some local application. Sulphur is indispensable for 
mange. In an early and not very acute state of mange, 
equal portions of sulphur, turpentine, and train-oil, 
gently but well rubbed on the part, will be applied with 
advantage. A tolerably stout brush, or even a curry- 
comb, lightly applied, should be used, in order to re- 
move the dandruff or scurf. After that, the horse 
should be washed with strong soap and water, as far 
as the disease has extended; and, when he has been 
thoroughly dried, the ointment should be well rubbed 
in with the naked hand, or with a piece of flannel. 

During the application of the ointment, and as soon 
as the physic has set, an alterative ball or powder 
should be daily given. If, after some days have passed, 
no progress should appear to have been made, half a 
pound of sulphur should be well mixed with a pint of 
oil of tar, or, if that is not to be obtained, a pint of 



102 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

Barbadoes tar, and the affected parts rubbed as before. 
On every fifth or sixth day, the ointment should be 
washed off with warm soap and water. The progress 
toward cure will thus be ascertained, and the skin will 
be cleansed, and its pores opened for the more effectual 
application of the ointment. 

It will be prudent to give two or three dressings 
after the horse has been apparently cured, and to con- 
tinue the alteratives for ten days or a fortnight. 



Surfeit. 

Large pimples or eruptions often appear suddenly 
on the skin of the horse, and especially in the spring 
of the year. The disease most frequently appears 
when the skin is irritable, during or after the process 
of moulting, or when it sympathizes with any disorder 
of the stomach. It has been known to follow the eat- 
ing of poisonous herbs or mow-burnt hay, but much 
oftener it is to be traced to exposure to cold when the 
skin was previously irritable, and the horse heated by 
exercise. 

If there is simple eruption, without any marked in- 
flammatory action, alteratives should be resorted to. 
There is no better alterative than that which is in com- 
mon use — pulverized antimony, nitre, and sulphur. 
They should be given on several successive nights. 
The night is better than the morning, because the 
warmth of the stable will cause the antimony and sul- 
phur to act more powerfully on the skin. The horse 
should be warmly clothed, half an hour's walking exer- 
cise should be given, an additional rug thrown over 
him, such green feed as can be procured should be used 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 103 

in moderate quantities, and the chill should be taken 
from the water. 

Should the eruption continue, or assume a more vio- 
lent character, bleeding and aloes must be had recourse 
to, but neither should be carried to any extreme. The 
physic having set, the alteratives should again be had 
recourse to, and attention should be paid to the com- 
fort and diet of the horse. 



Warts. 

There are some caustics available, but frequently 
they must be removed by an operation. If the root is 
very small, it may be snipped asunder close to the skin 
with a pair of scissors, and touched with the lunar 
caustic. If the pedicle or stem is somewhat larger, a 
ligature of wax silk should be passed firmly round it, 
and tightened every day. 



Rabies, or Madness. 

This is a fearful disease of the nervous system. It 
results from the bite of a rabid animal, and, most com- 
monly, of the companion and friend of the horse, the 
coach dog. The horse goes out to his usual work, and, 
for a certain time and distance, performs it as well as 
he has been accustomed to do; then he stops all at 
once, trembles, heaves, paws, staggers, and falls. 

When the disease can be clearly connected with a 
previous bite, the sooner the animal is destroyed the 
better, for there is no cure. If the symptoms bear con- 
siderable resemblance to rabies, although no bite is 
suspected, the horse should at least be slung, and the 



104 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

medicine, if any is administered, given in the form of 
a drink, and with the hand well protected; for if it 
should be scratched in balling the horse, or the skin 
should have been previously broken, the saliva of the 
animal is capable of communicating the disease. 

If a horse is bitten by a dog under suspicious cir- 
cumstances, he should be carefully examined, and every 
wound, and even the slightest scratch, well burned with 
the lunar caustic, (nitrate of silver.) The scab should 
be removed, and the operation repeated on the third 
day. The hot iron does not answer so well, and other 
caustics are not so manageable. The caustic must 
reach every part of the wound ; also give half an ounce 
of spirits ammonia in some warm water sweetened; 
repeat every thirty minutes until perspiration starts. 

Galls on Horses. 

Wash with Castile soap and warm water. The fol- 
lowing is an excellent recipe for an ointment for 
wounds and sores of all kinds, and for horses when 
galled by the saddle or collar, and also for broken 
chilblains. Take of 

Honey. . . . twelve ounce. 

Beeswax, . . four ounces. 

Burgundy Pitch, . sis ounces. 

Sweet oil, . . half pint. 

Melt them together over a slow fire; rub the parts affected; heat 
it in with a hot iron. 

Cracked Heels. 

First soak in chamber-lye, then use the above oint- 
ment. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 105 

ANOTHER OINTMENT FOE CRACKED HEELS OR OLD SORES. 

Hog's lard, . . . one pound. 
. four ounces. 
. half pound. 
. half pound. 
. half pound. 
. half pound. 

Simmer together, then add four ounces- spirits turpentine; stir 
until cool. This is the best ointment for old sores I ever tried. 



Turpentine, . 
Burgundy Pitch, 
Eesin, . 
Honey, . 



Colie. 

The appearance of this disease may "be known from 
the coldness of the horse's ears and legs, and by his 
general uneasiness, getting up and laying down often, 
looking around at his flanks, etc. 

The aromatic spirits of ammonia, one or two ounces, 
dissolved in a pint of warm water, is a good remedy ; 
to he followed by linseed oil, half pint, sweet spirits 
nitre, half pint, in warm water, sweetened. 

To prevent Contagion. 

Nail a piece of asafoeticla in the bottom of the manger ; 
also put a little copperas in the water they drink. 

Diarrhea, Dysentery, or Looseness. 

Use a strong decoction of white-oak bark every six 
hours, until relief is found; add black pepper, if you 
choose. 

Sweany. 

Take a leather strap, a half inch wide, and two and 
a half feet long, soak it in spirits turpentine, insert in 



106 DR. NESS'S NEW" METHOD 

your needle, made for the purpose, about eighteen 
inches long; put your needle at the top of the shoulder, 
and run it down just under the skin, letting it come 
out at the lower point of the shoulder ; tie a large knot 
in each end, move it twice a day, keeping the shoulder 
washed with Castile soap and warm water; let it re- 
main from six to ten days, then remove the strap ; 
bathe often in spirits turpentine; do not forget to 
rub it. 

Further remarks on Sweany. 

Since I wrote the above I have learned, from ex- 
perience, that sweany is caused, sometimes, by a strain. 
The striffin becomes calloused to the bone, then the 
shoulder begins to perish. In early stages put your 
knife in the center of the perished place ; be sure you 
cut through the striffin to the bone, then remove the 
knife and insert a quill, and blow sufficiently strong to 
remove the striffin from the bone ; get in as much wind 
as possible. Three or four such operations will gener- 
ally effect a cure. 

N. B. — A horse or mule should not be worked while 
curing the sweany. 

Fistula. 

Use your seton as in poll evil or sweany ; do not for- 
get your soap and water ; always keep a sore clean. 

Stoppage in the Bowels. 

Take aloes one ounce, ginger one ounce ; give in 
the form of a ball, to be followed with half pint of cas- 
tor oil. Use injections, if necessary, of the same articles. 



OF MANAGING HOUSES. 107 



Stoppage of the Urine. 

First cleanse your horse's privates with warm water 
and Castile soap, then oil with sweet oil; drench with 
sweet spirits nitre, half pint, in warm water sweetened. 
Repeat, if necessary, in six hours ; if this should fail, use 
the following ball : 

White resin, one ounce. 

Castile soap, four drachms. 

Oil of juniper, .... two drachms. 

Camphor, two drachms. 

Saltpetre, ..... four drachms 
This is one dose. Repeat if necessary. 

Strains and Sprains. 

Take one gallon of good brandy or high wine, one 
pound of gum myrrh, pounded fine, one ounce of cay- 
enne, and put them into a stone jug. Let it stand five 
or six days, shake it well every day, then it will be fit 
for use. Bathe the parts affected, rubbing it in well. 

N. B. — Never forget the rubbing. 

LINIMENT FOR THE ABOVE. 

Alcohol, one quart 

Turpentine, one pint. 

Corrosive sublimate, . . . one ounce. 

Blue stone, one ounce. 

Camphor, . . . . . one ounce. 

Sweet oil, half pint. 

Shake well. Use with a brush, very carefully. 

ANOTHER LINIMENT. 

Take old bacon fat and white of eggs. Mix together. 



108 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

Cancers, how Cured. 

Take the heads of red clover, and fill a brass kettle, 
and boil them in water for one hour ; then take them out 
and fill the kettle again with fresh ones, and boil them 
as before, in the same liquor. Strain it off, and press 
the heads to get out all the juice ; then simmer it over 
a slow fire till it is about the consistence of tar, when 
it will be fit for use. Be careful not to let it burn. 
When used, it should be spread on a piece of bladder, 
split and made soft. It is good for cancers and all old 
sores. If they are very bad, resort to the surgeon's 
knife ; follow with salve made as follows : Take 
Bees-wax, .... one pound. 
. one pound. 
. one and half pounds. 
. twelve ounces, 
then strain it off into a basin, 
and keep it for use. This ointment may be used for all fresh 
•wounds. 



Salt butter, 
Turpentine, 
Balsam fir, 
Melt and simmer them together 



To relax the Muscles in setting a Bone. 

This may be done by bathing the part with warm 
water, and is much better than the method that is 
generally practiced, of extending the muscle by the 
strength of several persons, which weakens the part 
so much that the bones are liable to get out of place 
again ; besides, the operation causes severe pain to the 
patient, and much trouble to the operator, which is all 
obviated by my method. In cases where a joint is put 
out, or a bone broken, wrap the part in cloths wet with 
water as hot as it can be borne, and pour on the warm 
water for a short time, when the muscles will become 
relaxed, so that the bones may be put in their place 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 109 

with little trouble. After setting, bathe in cold water, 
to set the muscle, then put on your splinters and ban- 
dages to suit jour judgment, according to the locality. 



Windgalls. 

These are mostly on the hind legs ; they are not 
only eyesores, but sometimes lame the horse. The 
reason why they are mostly on the hind legs is, he 
usually stands lower behind in his stall; also, he does 
the heft of his pulling with his hind legs. 

Cure. — On the first appearance of a windgall, bathe 
with vinegar and spirits turpentine, warm, and put a 
tight bandage round it. If this does not remove it, 
lay it open with a knife, and dress it as a common 
wound. 

A new mode to Cast a Horse. 

Take two pieces of joist, five or six feet long, lay 
them about four feet apart, then get some stout plank, 
seven or eight feet long, and spike them to the joist ; be 
sure it is well done ; stand it on its edge, then lead a well 
horse along side ; mark and bore holes, so as to pass a 
strap through, buckling each and every leg to the plat- 
form ; then the body, by the loins, and next, to the fore- 
shoulders ; also, be sure to confine the head by a nose- 
halter, so the animal can not raise his head when lying 
on his side ; now }^our board is fit for use ; now attach 
the horse you intend to operate upon to this platform, 
or surgeon's board, as we call it; be sure he is firmly 
confined; be sure to have help enough to lower the board 
and horse with ease, or hold it in any position you wish 
to have him in for the operation you intend to perform. 



110 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

To Dock or Nick a Horse. 

Set four posts in the ground, some taller than a 
horse ; halve on your cap-pieces very firm ; spike a few 
planks to its sides ; now lead your horse into the stocks 
thus prepared; put a sling under him, so he can not 
lie down ; make him fast with the halter to the cap in 
front; then strap each foot to the side planks below; 
now lay a block of wood on his left hip, draw the tail 
across it; place a sharp tool, made for the purpose, 
across the tail, and, with one blow with a maul, sever 
it; then stop the blood, by searing it with a hot iron. 
If you wish to nick your horse, take your knife in the 
right hand, and cut the cord on the right side of the 
tail in several places ; be careful you do not touch the 
bone, cutting as small a hole in the flesh or skin as 
possible ; then take the knife in the left hand, cutting 
the left cord, precisely as you have the right; then 
release him from the stocks, and put him in the 
pulleys ; rest, wash, and anoint, as your judgment may 
dictate. In case of broken legs, or severe lameness, 
the sling is very beneficial. 

Water-founder, how Cured. 

Tie a cord around the tail of your horse, as tight as 
possible ; put a small boy on his back ; let him move 
in a slow trot, for an hour, or less ; let the string re- 
main on his tail for ten or twelve hours, then take the 
string off; in the course of three or four days you may 
put him to work with safety. One might think this 
an old woman's whim. I only ask a trial ; then no one 
can doubt. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. Ill 

Corn, or Chest-founder, bow Cured. 

Take from four to six quarts of blood from the neck 
vein, as soon as possible ; then take one ounce of 
cayenne, one ounce of gum myrrh, one ounce of gum 
aloes, one ounce of fine bayberry bark ; mix with lard ; 
divide in three parts ; give one part immediately, an- 
other in twelve hours, the balance in twelve more, in 
# the form of balls. In two or three weeks your horse 
will be fit to work. 



Burst, Rupture, or Pus, how Cured. 

After fastening the horse to the surgeon's board, 
lay him in a position so as the bowels shall fall from 
the part affected ; have your threads made ten or 
twelve inches long ; cut the skin open ; be verj care- 
ful not to cut the bowels ; skiver each edge where the 
flesh is torn ; use a hooked needle ; put your threads 
in from the inside, leaving them until they are all in ; 
one inch apart will do ; then commence and tie each 
one by itself; let the ends hang out; proceed the same 
way with the skin ; set the stitches half way between 
those in the flesh ; cut the threads off, leaving them 
about two inches long ; be sure to hitch your horse so 
he can not gnaw out the stitches ; bathe with Castile 
soap and warm water, night and morning ; anoint with 
the ointment until healed. (If in summer, put a plaster 
over the wound, leaving a hole through it for the matter 
to run out.) 



112 DR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

Broken Leg, how Set and Cured. 

First, put in place, then take some stout cotton cloth, 
about two inches wide, any length; moisten in warm 
tar, or resin ; bandage well, then place your splints on 
every side, laying a little cotton under, to prevent gall- 
ing the leg; then strap them firmly; now take some 
pieces of timber, shaped to the leg, strap them on so as 
to let them run one inch below the hoof, so the horse 
will rest on the timbers, and not on the hoof; hitch your 
horse so he can not gnaw the lacings; sling him, if 
necessary ; bathe with chamber-lye. 

Stifle, or Kip bone, liow Set. 

Relax the muscle with warm water, as previously de- 
scribed, then let your assistant draw the foot back gen- 
tly; place your shoulder against the front part of the 
bone, your hands each side of the thigh. Lift gently 
until it comes into place; retain your hold until your 
assistant brings the foot forward; do not back the horse 
if you can help it. Bathe in cold water ; put a rolling 
shoe on the well foot, so he will stand on the lame one. 

How to make a Roiling Shoe. 

Take a common shoe and put two straps of hoop-iron 
on the bottom, so it will be rounding on the bottom, 
that the horse may not stand his whole weight on the 
well foot. Do not forget to put this shoe on the well foot. 

Gravel, how Cured. 

If your horse should get graveled, cut it out if pos- 
sible, and fill the place with hot tar. If you can not get 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 113 

at it with the knife, it will work out itself in time ; if 
you find it is coming out at the top of the hoof, cut the 
skin, for it is hard to work through it. 

If the horse steps on an old nail, or other metal, and 
lames himself, be sure and get it out; dress it with 
spirits of turpentine ; fill the cavity with hot tar ; do 
not forget to grease the nail, or other metal, and put it 
in the fire, as it will save much pain ; this may seem a 
whim ; it is but a little trouble. 

I once was called on to dress a man's hand that was 
sawed badly by an old saw. It pained him much ; he was 
cold, and chills ran over him. Some one suggested that 
the saw should be brought in and greased, and laid by 
the fire ; when this was done, he got easy at once. I 
have tried it often since, and find it has a good effect. 

Hoof-bound, how Cured. 

Soak the feet in chamber-lye, and press the heels of 
the shoes apart with the tongs ; some use the screw shoe, 
and screw the heels apart ; you can do as you please. 



Hide-bound, Iiow Cured. 

Give your horse a little blood-root (fine) in his feed. 
A table-spoonful once a day will do no harm. 



How to Castrate or Guild a Horse. 

First, fasten him to the surgeon's board, as described 

in my new mode of casting. Place him in a position 

to suit your convenience; get directly behind him, take 

the lower stone or testicle in your left hand, make the 

10 



114 BR. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

incision with a knife, in your right hand; make it long, 
for there is danger in its healing too quick ; then peel 
the meat of the stone or testicle out ; do not cut it off 
square or short, but scrape the string from the stone, 
until you scrape it off; leave the string long, if you "wish 
the horse to retain the pride of the stallion ; if you 
cut the string short, he will be forever dull, sluggish, 
and lazy. Now treat the other in the same form. Wash 
well with salt and water; keep him in a dry place, to 
prevent his taking cold; if he should take cold and 
maturate badly, syringe the wound with warm water and 
molasses. This is very good in case of fly-blows. 

Feed your horse on bruised oats, and the best of hay, 
not forgetting to give bran mash once a day. 



How to select and treat a Horse on a Journey. 

First, select a horse that is well and hearty ; not too 
poor, for he will be weak, or too fat, as a fat horse will 
not last ; select one that has been fed on hard food, had 
plenty of exercise, not too much ; do not drive him too 
far the first day, or too fast when you first start ; allow 
your horse to wet his mouth often, not allowing him to 
drink too much at a time ; do not allow him to be fed 
when too warm ; be sure and see that he is fed and pro- 
perly attended; see that his stall is dry and well littered, 
that he may rest well for the night ; in cold or damp 
weather, do not forget the blanket, and see he has it 
on ; hand rubbing is excellent to prevent his legs from 
swelling; drive slow up hill, drive gently down hill ; if 
you are in a hurry, press the horse on the plain, or 
where the road is not too steep or too sloping ; if you 
discover your horse wishes to stop, do not let him stop 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 115 

of his own accord, but stop him yourself. Although he 
may be half way up a steep hill, it is better for you to 
stop the horse, than allow him to stop without the word. 
Before I conclude this chapter, I will give you the 
horse's address to his rider, (from Mr. Bracken's trea- 
tise) which is well worth observation. 

Up the hill, spur me not; 
Down the hill, ride me not; 
On the plain, spare me not; 
To the ostler, trust me not. 



To remove Fly-blows from a Sore. 

"W r ash in molasses and warm water ; you will be sur- 
prised to see how soon it will have an effect. I once 
saw. a young colt completely covered with fly-blows ; it 
was thought, by those who saw him, that he would die ; 
I had him washed with molasses and water two or three 
times in the course of the day ; the next morning he 
seemed to be perfectly well, and free from fly blows. 



Cold, how Cured. 

First, wrap with warm blankets, with a good litter ; 
feed light on bruised oats and long hay ; water often ; 
give a table-spoonful of the following compound in 
their oats, three times a day. Take of 



Aniseed powder, 
Ferugreek, 
Liquorice powder, 
Elecampane powder, 
Flour of brimstone, 



four ounces, 
four ounces, 
four ounces, 
four ounces, 
four ounces. 



116 DK. NESS'S NEW METHOD 

Scours, how Cured. 

Take of 

Khubarb, in powder, . . one ounce. 

Gum myrrh, in powder, . . half ounce. 

Saffron, half ounce. 

Ginger, in powder, . . . two ounces. 

Bayberry bark, in powder, . two ounces. 

Make in ball, with lard. Give one-third every twelve hours. 

Scratches, and their Cure. 

This disease in a horse is like the itch on a person. 
It sometimes causes lameness. Anoint with the fol- 
lowing ointment. Take 



Hog's lard, 
Burgundy Pitch, 
Beeswax, . 
Flour of brimstone, 
Red precipitate, 



one pound, 
two ounces, 
two ounces, 
one ounce, 
one ounce. 



Simmer over a slow fire ; then add two ounces spirits turpentine. 
Stir till cold. 



Lampas. 

The palate of the young horse is more subject to 
inflammation than the old. The bars of the mouth 
sometimes swell below the surface of the teeth, and be- 
come very painful when feeding, and the horse loses 
flesh. Every one has their own cure. Within the 
last six years I have burned them out, with an iron 
made for that purpose. The horse should have mash 
feed for a few days, then he can have hard food again. 



OF MANAGING HORSES. 117 

Harnesses. 

We have said a great deal about horses, in this trea- 
tise, both of our own experience and the experience of 
others. I will say a few words concerning the harness 
that holds this noble animal in subjection. 

It has been the practice of our stables to wash and 
oil harness so often as to rot it, and it becomes, a use- 
less thing. I will here give you a recipe for cleaning 
harness, so it will last long, and will not catch the dust. 
Take 

Castile soap, .... one pound. 

Beeswax, two ounces. 

Gum arabic, .... two ounces. 

Olive, or sweet oil, . . . one pint. 

Alcohol, one pint. 

Drop black, pulverized, . . one and a half ounces. 

Indigo, " . . half ounce. 

Simmer the first four together ; add the rest when partly cool. 

Clean your harness with this preparation. Use no 
oil. You may use warm water and Castile soap, if you 
choose. Polish with a woolen rag. 




INDEX. 



PART I. 



THE ORIENTAL ART THE TRUE PHILOSOPHT. 



How to make a horse pace, 

How to cure a horse from 
interfering 

How to shoe horses, 

Early training, 

Taming a vicious horse,... 

Teaching a horse various 
tricks, 

To make a horse lie down,.. 

How to make a horse fol- 
low you, 

Breaking colts, 

Kicking, 

Slipping the halter, 

Restlessness while being 
shod, 

To prevent rolling in the 
stall, 

How to break horses from 
balking, 

Crib biting, 

To make a*horse lie down 
at night, 

Unwillingness to be mount- 
ed, 

Running away, 

Restiveness, 

Biting, 

The author's fancy for a 
trick horse, • 

How to succeed in getting 
the colt from pasture,... 

How to stable a colt with- 
out trouble, 

Time to reflect, 

The kind of halter, 

Remarks on the horse, 



'60 



Experiments with the robe, 36 

Suppositions on the sense of 
smelling, 37 

Prevailing opinion of horse- 
men, 38 

Powel' s system of approach- 
ing the colt, 40 

Remarks on Powel's treat- 
ment how to govern 
horses of any kind, 43 

How to proceed if your 
horse is of a stubborn 
disposition, 46 

How to halter and lead the 
colt. 47 

How to lead a colt by the 
side of a broken horse,... 50 

How to lead a colt into the 
stable and hitch him with- 
out having him pull on 
the halter, 51 

The kind of bit and how to 
accustom a horse to it,... 53 

How to saddle a colt, 53 

How to mount the colt, 55 

How to ride a colt, 57 

The proper way to bit a colt, 59 

How to drive a horse that is 
very wild and has any 
vicious habits, 60 

Further remarks on balk- 
in-, 62 

67 



To break a horse to harness, 
How to hitch a horse in a 

sulky, 67 

How to make a horse stand 

without holding, 68 

(119) 



120 



INDEX. 



PART II. 

THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE HORSE. 



Breeding horses, 71 

The horse in the stable, 74 

Air, 75 

Grooming, 77 

Light, 78 

Exercise, 79 

Litter, 80 



PAGE 

Food, 80 

The sense of smell, 88 

Management of the feet,... 89 

Points of a good horse, 91 

The age of horses after the 

ninth year, 91 

Age of horses by the teeth, 92 



PART III. 



DISEASES AND THEIR CURE. 



PAGE 

To mix and give a ball, 93 

Glanders, 94 

Diseases of the teeth, 94 

Inflammation of the eye,... 95 

Lung fever, 95 

Distemper, how cured, 96 

Condition powders, 96 

Heaves, 96 

String halt, 97 

Caution, 98 

Poll evil, 98 

Strangles, 98 

Bote, 99 

Tetanus or Lock-jaw, 99 

Manse, 100 

Surfeit, 102 

Warts, 103 

Rabies, or madness, 103 

Galls on horses, 104 

Cracked heels, 104 

Colic, 105 

To prevent contagion. 105 

Diarrhea, dysentery, etc.,... 105 

Sweany 105 

Further remarks on sweany, 1 06 

Fistula, 106 

Stoppage in the bowels, 106 

Stoppage of the urine, 107 

Strains and sprains, 107 



Cancers, how cured, 108 

To relax the muscles in set- 
ting a bone, 108 

Windfalls, 109 



A new mode to cast a horse, 109 
To dock or nick a horse,... 110 
Water-founder, how cured, 110 
Corn, or chest-founder, how 

cured, Ill 

Burst, rupture, or pus, how 

cured, Ill 

Broken leg, how set and 

cured, 112 

Stifle, or hip bone, how set, 112 
How to make a rolling shoe, 112 

Gravel, how cured, 112 

Hoof-bound, how cured, 113 

Hidebound, how cured, 113 

How to castrate or guild a 

horse, 113 

How to select and treat a 

horse on a journey 114 

To remove fly-blows from a 

sore, 115 

Cold, how cured. 115 

Scours, how cured, 116 

Scratches, and their cure,.. 116 

Lampas, 116 

Harnesses, 117 



SfeJR 






3jo * 



*g33S' 

^> 1>> -v ;;.: 



1^ 



3 >\>V 

3 >Op5 



CO 

>3 



j> > : 




2> 05) 


3Bfc0> 


3»so 


; i*» $> 


J> ~>i>:» 


• -> ■ 


J) £» 




JO^ 


3fc^ 


J>Xx> 




>:»:> 


~T(fe>). . -sjj^ 


20>:> 





EST) ■ 

»33 
5>33 
2>33 
»■ » 



ss ^ ;.ts 










5 § 








Ijp 

► » ^> 

►3T> :^* 

!^> ^^> 

►33 ^3 

^3 ^> 
L33 3> 




5? 
> ""_ 

iiT 
3 

;:■> 

c 

o 

3 


3 3:> 
^> 3^ 
j> 3> 

> 3> 
» 33 

>3> 


^S*3p3-D 


^ 


1^ 


1. 


" -3 


"3 


—^ 3* 


3 


"> ~^ 


R 



3* 



i> \ 



J ^>- :■"•'-> >Z> 












: > 






Q^Qfrl 



33 •• > . ^ 

33 *o -r-^ 

33 -'J ,5 

3? 333* 
* 3 ^ 

> 3' 

3 ' V*""" 



2>» ^^ 

SO: C 



*>3:o> 3V 
>335r> jr 






> >^ > > 



